Hello my name is Shakil Ali, in this blog I will present all my research and information for my Digital Media Design degree. The posts on this blog will show my progress and developments throughout the next two years of my studies. It will include original research, creative ideas and other relevant work for future projects.
Know that I am beginning to get some ideas for my film I though I would look at some more examples to get an idea in the production of the film. Another short film I came across which gave some inspiration is a Lurpak butter advert. this advert is relatively new and still is presented in TV ads. Below is a video which shows the advert.
Lurpak
This advert has got some fantastic features that have given me huge inspiration. Firstly some of shot angles are really effective and give a great dynamic aspect to the clip, for example the point of view shots on the mash potato crusher. It it also fast pace which is what I am required to do in my film although my shots will probably have to a little faster. I also really enjoyed the variety in colour that was included in the clip as it helps create a contract in different objects. Overall I think this is an excellent clip which will help me immensely in my project.
Nike
Another short film I came across was a nike a advert promoting their brand. This was an effective advert but did not give me much inspiration as it was not greatly relevant to the film style I am required to do. Below is the advert.
Most new movie trailers use fast cutting edits for a number of reasons. The main reason may be to create excitement and engage the audience, so that they will be enticed to watch the full movie when it is released. The fast cuts in the trailer could be used to illustrate the aspects of the storyline within the given time period, this often a short time as it would be used in advertisement breaks. Also the use of fast cutting prevents too much of a scene to be revealed, so it keeps the audience on edge.
The film genres that would typically use this editing technique are mainly action and thriller films. Below is an example of movie trailer which uses the technique.
This a trailer for The Bourne Legacy movie which was released back in 2012. It is high action thriller films with plenty of stunts therefore the appropriate editing style for this trailer would be to use fast cuts. However in this trailer there is mix of slow and fast scenes which is utilised to create a dynamic short film. Although this is create high octane trailer the cuts used are significantly slower than what my film would have to be. However it has allowed me to think about some shot ideas and angles which will help convey the fast pace.
As it is early into the assignment I thought the best thing to do is look for some inspiration and ideas. I kind of had an idea of how the filming style would be and the cuts that would be required. From this I remembered a great TV advert which featured fast cutting and a variety of shots. The advert was from PG Tips showing a cup of tea being made after arriving home:
PG Tips
This is a great short film as it shows the journey of an activity in a short period of time. Although the film simply shows the progression of making cups of tea, this film is very effective as it uses different camera shots and angles and therefore makes it dynamic. Also I really enjoyed the cartoon like sound effects as it gives the advert a lighthearted humorous tone, in particular the duck squeaks as the man puts the slippers on. This advert has given me some ideas however you may notice that the clip is a slower pace as it 40 seconds which will be different from my short film as its only 20 seconds.
Edgar Wright
I also thought of other clips which have fast cuts in them and immediately remembered the film Hot Fuzz. In this film there are a number of scenes which have a series of shots recorded in a fast cut style. I then released, from watching the other films, that many of the director Edgar wright's films have this distinct editing technique. These include the film starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost which are Shaun of the Dead and The World's End. Below are some clips from the movies that show fast cut scenes.
I really like this style of editing as it energetic and engaging to watch. The speed of the cuts is going to be similar to my film as it needs to be fast also the sound effects help increase the excitement. The series of shots recorded are often very close up which is a great feature as it assists in emphasising the fast action. Overall I believe this editing style would work very well in my short film.
After being given the new assignment the first thing I did was to find some examples to gain some inspiration and ideas for my own film. However immediately I came across a problem, this was that I did not know the name of the editing style and therefore could not search for short films with the technique presented in the project. So I did some research and found some editing techniques that appear to be relevant to the technique that fits my brief. The editing techniques I came across which helped my find some video clips are Fast cutting, Jump cuts and Hip hop montage.
Fast Cutting
Fast cutting is a series of consecutive shots that have been cut into a short time period. It is utilized in a variety of media forms and is often used to create excitement for dramatic purposes. It can be used to subject chaos and energy into a scene.
Jump Cuts
This editing technique concentrates on the difference from one shot to the next. So its focus is to have an overstated movement from one shot to the next. Unlike Fast cutting Jump cuts do not need to be shot in a short period of time, they vary for different film styles.
Hip Hop Montage
Hip hop montage is a relatively new and modern term given as a sub-category of editing techniques. It is very similar to fast cutting and follows some of the rules. However Hip hop montages often have higher shot rates in a smaller period of time. This technique is made up from not only video but the use of sound effects. The sounds in the shots play a huge role in creating a successful Hip hop montage. As a result this technique is essentially fast cutting but with the addition of sound effects.
A well known movie director called Darren Aronofsky was the man who gave the editing style the name Hip Hop Montage. He featured this technique in some of his movies including Pi and Requiem for a Dream. There is a video clip below which demonstrates how Darren Aronofsky used hip hop montage in his films.
The fast cutting editing technique first grew fame in horror films in the 1950's. It was a new concept which helped convey dramatic scenes and intensify any plots within the movie. It was especially great at assisting in creating scary horror scene.
However now in modern time this editing technique is used for a variety of affects. It can be seen in action films, trillers and even comedies.
One very famous movie filmed in the 1960's was Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock. It has a famous scene where a woman taking a shower in her home is attacked and killed by a stranger with a knife. It features fast cuts which allow the scene to come across gory and horror filled.
In this new assignment we required to create a dynamic film sequence that portrays a journey or some other linear event using video editing. We will be making a short film piece that lasts between 15 to 20 seconds and must contain a minimum of 30 edits/cuts. It should be as action packed and dynamic as possible while still being able to clearly portray the chosen subject. Learning Outcomes for the Assessment:
Produce a number of storyboards that visually illustrate their chosen narratives
Produce documented evidence of supporting research and idea generation in sketchbook/project folder format.
Produce time based works that demonstrate an understanding of the prescribed areas.
