Assignment # 2: SHOOT FOR THE EDIT

In Assignment #2, your task is to interpret, or reinterpret, a scene.

Basic scene construction, action continuity, graphic editing, construction of time and space should be applied and practiced in this exercise.

In this assignment you will again shoot footage in groups based on a short script that I will provide in class.

We will also have the chance to shoot some live scenes with our guest Actor Jason Tobin on March 2.

The scene includes 2-3 characters, and for the shoot you will need to film the entire sequence a number of times to include:

• Wide Shot
• Shot / Reverse shot of each character
• Close Up(s)
• Cutaway(s)

This will give the group a bank of footage to work with. Remember to shoot with the 180 degree line, eyeline matching, and other techniques we have learned.

Footage can be shot at SCM. There is not need to do an elaborate production, but rehearsal will help the quality of the shooting and give more options for editing.

If there is a problem with your footage, it is possible to use existing scene of film rushes that will be available in the Common Share folder.

Final assignments is an interpretation of the scene.

Remember — get to the heart of the scene and use some of the various editing techniques we have discussed thus far.

It’s not enough to just follow the timeline of the event as you think it should happen — Create tension in the scene, choose the best takes, give it pace and rhythm, and use your editing skills to make the material shine.

DUE Date: March 8, 2016

GRADE: 20%

Bank Robbers Part I & II

Listen to Roger Ebert discuss approaches to editing the Bank Robbers scene.

Assignment #4: Trailer

A  TRAILER is a fundamental part of promoting a film and getting viewers excited about seeing it. Some say it is the art of “disclosure and deception” as well as an art of seduction. The trailer brings together the main elements of the film and makes us want more.

• Edit a trailer that emphasises a different genre than the original film. For example, watch this trailer for the horror film The Shining that was recut as a family feel-good movie.  For this exercise, you will need to accurately reflect a ‘genre’ trailer that is different from the original meaning of the film.

For this assignment students much first watch the entire film and have a good sense of the story, feeling and original genre.

In your trailer you can use titles, inter-titles, voice over and music. 

The trailer should be NO LESS than one and a half minutes and NO MORE than 3 minutes. 

Watch some TRAILERS HERE

DUE DATE: April 13, 2016

GRADE: 20%

Assignment #1: Action Continuity

Create and edit an action scene focusing on the action’s visual continuity. Working with storyboards in a group, shoot your selected action. The edited version should not be less than 10 shots and should demonstrate:

1. Match on action
2. Shot/reverse shot
3. 180 degree rule

In this assignment  you can pick one of the following actions:

• A character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character.
• One character wakes up another character. The first puts on her clothes, shoes, etc. and gets ready to go out.
• A couple plays badminton.
• Two people avoid each other going up or down a staircase.

REMEMBER: This exercise is not for you to use visual gimmicks but to focus on a straightforward, neat and effective presentation of action continuity through editing. Do not distract yourself or get sidetracked with unnecessary attention or efforts in lighting or story telling. Keep it simple!

Class will be divided into groups for this exercise. Each group will work on the production together and share the footage among the group for editing. Each student has to present a ‘version’ of his or her own editing effort. Submit names of group leader and members to your instructor on the first workshop period.

One day of e-money for production for Exercise 1 will be allocated to the group leaders respectively.

 

DUE: Feb 1st, 2016 (Bring your work to class & upload to CommonShare)

GRADE: 20%

Assignment #3: Music Video

Select a song or a piece of music that you like and create a MUSIC VIDEO (MV) out of it. The ENTIRE song or piece of music must be used and the length of the video should not exceed 4 minutes.

You can choose to select visual materials from existing sources or shoot your own materials for your MV. For visual materials from other sources you should not use two (or more) consecutive shots from the original footage in editing.  All ‘cuts’ or ‘edit points’ in your MV should be created by you.

Be creative and use your imagination!

Rhythm, pacing and tone are important factors in this exercise. Try to ‘feel’ the rhythm or tempo of the music and explore its emotional potentials and possibilities. Use your intuition!

Visual materials can be taken from any source, but the completed work should show a meaningful structuring of images and a flow of tempo created through the editing.

Each student will work independently in the choice of music and visual materials. 

*Watch some MUSIC VIDEOS HERE

DUE DATE: March 23, 2016

GRADE: 20%