Editing Day Blog

Today in class, we were able to edit our raw footage that my group and I dumped onto my computer, and also on a USB, on the day of filming. Initially our plan was that we would’ve done it on the school computer but I found out that we couldn’t download the iMovie app on that computer. We decided that it was better if we did it on another member of the group’s computer because he was able to download iMovie. We started the editing process, by dumping all footage that was stored on the flash drive to James’ computer. We saved the footage in two different locations, (the classroom computer and the USB flash drive), so it made it easier for us to delete the footage from the classroom computer and use the same footage on the USB. After moving all raw footage into a new folder on James’ computer, we dragged the footage and dropped it into the iMovie app. Once everything was in iMovie, we decided that editing in different categories would be more efficient in getting the best takes in each scene. First, I went through all the film and placed all footage into categories of each scene so that we could see each scene, watch all takes in the scene, and decide which was best to put into the editing area. I did this with all takes in each scene, from the beginning of the commercial to the end of it.

   Once we reviewed all the footage and placed with its scene, I began to put the best takes into the editing area to begin editing. I put the scenes in chronological order so that it would be more organized and the commercial would make more sense. When all footage was put into its proper time frame, we could start the editing process. I began at the start of the footage of the opening scene of our group member using the vape for it to be an establishing shot of her clearly being on school campus  as well as vaping. We didn’t use transitions in this scene because it was the opening one and also we didn't do much editing. During the second scene however, we had trouble figuring out what camera angles would’ve been better for our commercial. We decided that since the second scene is the two effects of vaping, addiction and lung cancer, coming towards the student; it would’ve been best if we used a mid shot to show the effects of vaping. Also, we used an over the shoulder of the two effects walking towards the student. Furthermore, we decided that a transition between the mid shot and the over the shoulder, high angle shot was needed; leaving us with the fade in transition. We ended up choosing this because it would clearly show what the effects were and also it would show the student who vaped facial expression of overwhelmed and scared to really get the danger and seriousness of these effects. With the next scene being a continuation of the effects of vaping walking towards the student, a mood of suspension grows with more intensity as the effects get closer to the student. I thought that the best camera angles for this would've been a high angle that would’ve also been an over the shoulder shot of the two effects gaining onto the student who just finished vaping. This way, the anticipation would slowly grow as the effects gained on the student who just finished vaping.

   For the final scenes of the commercial, we previously decided that it would’ve been our group member, that missed the day of filming, the one to do most of the editing work, with our help of course. In the end of our film the student falls and looks up at the effects towering over her, we used the point of view shot to represent the student. Between the last scene and this scene we decided that the smoothest transition to put in would be a jump cut because it would show how quick it would be for the effects to surround the student who vaped earlier. After this scene, I thought that the best transition for our next scene of my group member and I giving a few facts about the effects of vaping, would’ve been a dissolve effect because it will start a new and different kind of scene. By doing so it made the transition better and a lot smoother. For the final steps of our editing process, we noticed that there was a lot of background noise since it was a regular school day. I realized that iMovie had the editing option that allowed us to turn down the background volume without making it sound like the volume was lowered throughout the film.