P5 post-production processes

Post-Production Editing

The post production process is the most intricate and challenging part of film-making in many cases. Using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, I proceeded to develop a captivating and enticing final production in which uniquely advertised NIKE running products. To do this, I included a range of visual editing techniques. 

Logging Rushes / Creating Edit Decision List

Logging rushes is a crucial factor before editing in post production as it makes sourcing specific footage easier and enables you to choose the appropriate shots when needed. Firstly I transferred all footage from the camera using a card reader, then continued to create a new 'Why Run?' folder to store the footage. (Shown Below) This meant I could then go on to organise all clips for editing and create an edit decision list (EDL) 

When transferring into Adobe Premier Pro, I named each individual clips to organise and make it much easier to edit the footage. This meant I could simply drag a clip into the work area and proceed to edit, rather than scrolling and searching for clips which may waste time and be hard to locate the exact clips.

Once in Premier Pro, I was able to see the the clip 'Name' and 'Frame Rate' (the frequency at which frames in a television picture, film, or video sequence are displayed). In addition to this I was able to see the media start and end, as well as duration of the clip  which helped me identify my desired footage almost immediately,  giving me the finite details to help me differentiate when editing and synchronising footage.

Original Folder with rushes

Producing and Reviewing an off line edit 

Offline Edit

Using Adobe Premiere Pro was essential in the production of my advertisement. This was the primary programme used in the editing and production of the final media product.

Firstly I had to import all footage recorded into Adobe CS5, naming them individually for ease of use further into the editing process, allowing me to simply add in and cut clips in the correct order, to create the initial structure of my film. Adding the music track was next, this created the overall structure, giving me the exact timing required for footage. After importing all clips, it became clear that I had too much footage that over-ran after audio finished, which overall gave me a diverse range of clips to edit, opening my options and enabling to include the new ideas I had incorporated when filming the original footage.

At this point of the production process, it was vital that I kept roughly to the storyboards, script and original concept. All clips had been renamed and therefore I could pick out the individual pieces of footage required to create the off line edit.

Below shows the process involved in setting up a project in Adobe Premiere Pro. Firstly, the programme must be opened and 'New Project' is selected. This will open the new project page and enable you to alter desired settings and display format. After ensuring this is all correct, including safe areas and timecode, selecting OK will take you to the next option. 

Furthermore you have the option to create and name the new sequence in which you will be working with. At this point you must ensure the layout of your film is correct by selecting dimensions and 1080p quality. After this, your project will open and the editing timeline will be visible. Clips must be imported and the post production process begins. 

The most common editing technique used throughout the post production process is the cutting and selecting tools. These options allow you to select individual clips within your timeline, and then cut in a specific place in order to create your final production. For example you may wish to include a clip that is too long, and some of the footage is not necessary, therefore you can use the select tool, then by pressing the cut tool (C), you will then have the ability to remove any excess footage that you wish to be removed.

Cutting and Rearranging of clips

The initial editing and post production process involved using the razor and selection tool, which simply involved importing the required footage into the editing workspace/timeline, and cutting to the appropriate lengths, then placing in the correct position to match the audio. Although this was the most simplistic process involved in post production, taking the greatest care and attention to detail was essential to create the highest quality, professional looking video, ensuring continuity was created between footage and the video flowed well.

Throughout post production, I continued to use a wide variety of technical editing processes to develop and create my final media product, this involved spending long periods of time studying the individual video clips involved in the final piece to ensure continuity was achieved for the duration of the film, giving a professional, high quality look.

Simple cutting and rearranging of clips to ensure I have captivating, high quality footage - Continuity Editing

Editing of Position and Scale (Motion Effect) for a more effective and captivating advertisement

Colour Correction  to create an atmosphere and entice the audience 

 Visual effects to emphasise the video footage

Time Remapping to slow down and speed up individual clips to match audio and pace 

Typography to present film titles and credits

Superimposition of Clips in order to create an engaging, high quality final production

The clips below are an example where I have filmed and created a match on action, continuity edit. This is done by filming shots from different angles that show the protagonist moving/running with a seamless edit, hence the phrase 'continuity edit' in post production. The clips will be put together in adobe premiere pro, cut and placed with pernickety care in order to create the seamless cut.

Applying appropriate visual effects and transitions

Colour Matte

An editing technique I applied to the film was a Colour Matte. This can be used for various reasons, however I applied this effect in order to create a more cinematic effect for 'Why Run?'. The tool enabled me to add a letterbox/cinematic bar to the final production, causing the film to look more widescreen than the original raw footage:

Firstly I selected 'Color Matte' within the tools section of Adobe Premiere Pro, shown below:

After selecting Colour Matte, I left the width and height as 1440 x 1080, in order to create the black bars, however this produces a solid black rectangle over your project. 

Next, the colour of rectangle was chosen. I opted for black to create a more cinematic effect.

The final stage using the 'Colour Matte' tool in order to create a letterbox effect involved scaling and positioning. In order to do this efficiently I positioned the bar as desired, leading to only part of the footage being covered by the black colour matte, after I was happy with the clips being covered at the top of the screen, I had to repeat this process in oder to create a second colour matte, and then invert the position and scaling to get the exact same measurements at the bottom of the screen.

Below shows an example of the final letterbox/cinematic bars I created in Adobe Premiere Pro. The clip instantly looks more widescreen and a cinematic effect is introduced. I used this effect throughout the final production of 'Why Run?'.

Time Remapping

For some clips, I needed them to fill a specific amount of time in order for the final production to flow efficiently and maintain a professional look. The clip below was used as a 'filler' clips at the beginning of the film, as one of the short sharp cuts. However when used once more during the film, I had to fill a few more seconds of blank space before the new scene began. The problem I faced was the film seemed to slow down as the audio did not match the footage, and the flowing water seemed reasonably slow. Therefore I increased the speed from 100% to 238%, enhancing the rate by over double the original amount. This sped up the flow of the water and maintained the pace and matched the audio. The two images below show the process and screenshot of the final product of this editing technique.

Superimposition of Clips in order to create an engaging, high quality final production - Below shows an example of superimposition used to present the NIKE logo on screen during the film. This process involved sourcing the NIKE logo, removing it's background on photoshop,  then importing to Adobe Premiere Pro to superimpose on screen in front of the footage. When this item was imported to the editing software,  I simply had to place it on the editing timeline in the correct position, and then rescale to preference in order to make customers watching the advertisement to be aware of the product's brand etc. 

Magic Bullet Mojo

One way in which I created a more intriguing, professional looking film was through the use of the Magic Bullet Suite. I opted for to use Mojo, a colour grading tool used within Premiere Pro. Mojo contributes to the creation of an 'action blockbuster' type grading, and can be altered through tint, balance, warmth, punch, bleach and skin. I altered the overall Mojo style to 6.00, giving a discreet but effective tint on my film. The tint was left at 50,00 and Mojo Balance at 75.00. These specific settings enabled me to create the style shown below with the clip of the watch. Additionally, Mojo was used throughout 'Why Run?' to ensure continuity. Below shows different ways in which I applied Magic Bullet's Mojo in order to create a darker, more captivating style within the film. Examples of Magic Bullet Mojo can be seen below. Although only discreet changes, they make a large impact to the overall look and style of the final production.

                                                 

Before Magic Bullet Mojo

After Magic Bullet Mojo

Before Magic Bullet Mojo

After Magic Bullet Mojo

Before Magic Bullet Mojo

After Magic Bullet Mojo

Cross Dissolves

Furthermore, the use of 'Cross Dissolve' was included in many clips. Above shows both the inclusion of Magic Bullet Mojo, and the start of a Cross Dissolve effect that faded 'Anna Weston' in and out at the appropriate moment. It was possible to alter the length of time taken to fade in and fade out, meaning I could be very precise in how the text appeared on screen. Below shows a small part of the editing timelines in which involved the used of a cross dissolve for the above image. 

Text / Typography

I used text on many occasions throughout my final production. A reason for this is to influence the audience who are viewing the advertisement. For example whilst clips are playing during the film, you will see 'Why Run?' followed by 'NIKE'. At first it is not obvious that there is a message hidden within the advert, however as the film progresses the text repeats and becomes more regular. The advert asks almost a rhetorical question, 'Why Run?', and then responds with 'NIKE' almost immediately after, potentially influencing viewers and convincing them to use NIKE running equipment. 

Creating text on Premiere Pro is a reasonably simple process. By adding a title page, you have access to all the tools needed to create typography or still text. After researching font styles similar to NIKE, I opted for 'Futura', as it is within a font style set similar to the NIKE logo. Secondly I added 'Small Caps', which changes all lower case into small capitals, ideal for title pages and bold text statements. I altered the small caps size to my desire and then added a dropped shadow to separate the text from the clips.

Linking audio to visuals and applying audio effects

After creating all text, I then had to import then to the editing timeline and place in the appropriate areas. In addition to the clips I also matched the text with sound levels. The majority of text seen throughout 'Why Run?' is matched to an individual drum beat, this was essential to make the whole film flow and have an impact on the audience. The use of text and logos can be seen matched to the sound levels below. The timing of each individual piece of text had to be altered in order to fit in with the music. Therefore some remained on screen for longer than others, depending on the background music. I decided to do this to keep the reader engaged throughout by various things occurring on screen at different times, rather than text being placed in random areas during the film. As previously mentioned I also matched footage to the audio through viewing the music's waveform. Having access to this (shown below) meant I could edit my clips according to the audio's waveform, indicating where the drums are, how long each beat is and making it clear as to where the music changes within the song.