Throughout our editing process we used JianYing, a Chinese editing software, to edit and connect our shots, process sound and apply colour grading. In addition, we utilised Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to create special effects.
As producer, it was highly important for me to gain a strong understanding of how to edit footage, because this would enable me to fully follow Richard’s editing process and continuously provide constructive feedback to improve the quality of our film opening. I entered media studies with relatively little knowledge of camera and editing techniques, so I first familiarised myself with camera specifications such as ISO and aperture, learning how specific adjustments will impact the effect of videos from YouTube video and our director Richard.
Having little prior experience with the process of editing videos, I utilised the wide variety of JianYing tutorials created by Chinese video editors on the video platform Bilibili to understand how fundamentals such as how to add and cut pieces of footage, as well as other techniques such as how to synchronise sound with shots to create J-cuts such as for our first shot in the film opening. This provided me with sufficient basic knowledge of video editing in order to actively participate in the editing process, and I continued to watch various editing tutorials in accordance with Richard’s editing progress to provide editing support and share the overall workload. I also found online sources for public-available background music and different types of sound effects which could be used in our film opening.
Most of the editing process went according to planned in our storyboard, but the in-car shots did not reach expectations due to limitations in the lens aperture. Nevertheless, I foresaw this issue when filming the in-car shots and made sure that we filmed multiple nuanced takes so that the shots could be edited to maintain good continuity throughout the scene. In editing, the size and framing of the shots were altered to produce a smoother transition using available footage.
Special effects have been a valuable addition to our film opening which greatly contributed towards the creation of verisimilitude in our narrative, making the subtle supernatural elements in the film opening seem much more believable for the audience. Examples of special effects which we utilised include the frame distortion effects and blur effects for the devil’s first appearance. The buzz effect generates the sensation that the devil suddenly appeared out of nowhere, whereas the blur and shifting frames corresponds with the devil’s claim that he is distorting space-time and blocking sound, also adding to the protagonist’s sense of confusion and disorientation. Multiple layers of the effect were applied to build a heavy distortion which varied from frame-to-frame. The special effects were then combined with processed sound effects to make the devil’s appearance more convincing, and the overall subtlety of these effects fits well with the ‘new-weird’ thriller subgenre conventions which we aimed to achieve in our film opening.
Colour grading played an important role in improving the perceived quality of our film opening. Richard’s Sony a7r3 camera could film using the RAW format, which allowed us to make detailed adjustments to shots. Considering the daily setting of our shots, we needed to put in large amounts of effort to create a film-grade texture for the opening. We spent considerable amounts of time experimenting with the white balance to create a desired visual effect. Next, we repeatedly adjusted the brightness and contrast of individual shots and asked other media students to provide feedback. This also gave us a clearer idea of the exact effect which we were aiming to achieve, such as creating a dim, suspenseful atmosphere without compromising the clarity of the shots. Moreover, we used tone editing to create meaning through binary opposition. A warm tone is applied to the bedroom scene whereas a colder tone is applied throughout the car scenes, creating a symbolic contrast between the safety of home and the insecurity/foreignness created by the unwelcome visitor.
Since our target audience demographic is young, they tend to be attracted by excitement and mystery. In our editing process, we paid special attention to create a varied editing pace. This suits the thriller/horror genre conventions in which subtle changes in editing pace can create the narrative signification that the narrative is in motion and therefore something unexpected is about to occur. Our colour grading and suspenseful background music is intended to further the audience’s sense of apprehension, which engages with the attention of the audience.
I was quite satisfied with the product of our editing: our efforts were translated into smooth transitions, coherence between shots and music, as well as a dramatic colour gradient which all contributed to the quality of our film opening. Rough screening audiences also enjoyed the quality of our editing, which convinced me that the editing process was an overall success. Being the group producer, I was well-acquainted with building narratives and product management, but through combining practical editing work with an assortment of online tutorials on YouTube and Bilibili, I was able to develop an assortment of editing skills which expanded my skill-set and increased my competence as a media studies student. Gaining editing knowledge will also make it easier for me to complete my Year 13 coursework.