This didn't work out very well at all, as you can see from the screenshot above and I was not happy with the quality that it has produced as a result of changing a few settings.
This was the original before I changed the settings and there isn't much different at all:
After trying this, I thought it would use this piece as my audience feedback, so that I could show them this one and then another rough cut of the Durham scene to see which they prefered, so I changed this scene to black and white and I think this works extremely well. It adds to the tone of the song and the meaning of it and I have also edited the rough version so that it is jumpy to give the tone of a eerie effect as Stephanie sits in the woods.
Whilst we carried on filming, it got darker and darker so once we got inside the woods, it was nearly pitch black, so I have changed the settings even further on the clips where we got into the woods:
The above screenshot is what the image was like after I adjusted the settings and the below screenshot shows what it was like originally; as you can see, there is a huge difference.
As I used a different setting for the lighter parts when Stephaine was just walking into the woods, I tried it out on the darker parts and it was far too dark, proving that the settings needed to be adjusted further, which I have shown evidence of above and this is how dark it was:
When I just used black and white, before changing the exposure etc, that didn't work either as that was also too dark, so needed extra adjustments to look just right.
Here is my finished rough cut; take a look and see what you think:
The editing is jumpy on purpose here to give off the effect of a lonely, cold and isolated young girl who is caught up in their own thoughts, unsure on how to act upon them and this is also reflected through the use of the black and white effect which allows the audience to realise her pain and they begin to empathise with her towards the end of the video.
I like the editing earlier in the clip, although I think you need more variation of shots during the chorus; you hold some of the takes a little too long (for example, the long take where you hold on Steph). Possibly you could slow it down and use less of it, or different angles? You might cross-cut between the narrative and the singer? You could possibly echo some of the shots, or cross-fade them. You need to tighten up the editing a little (for example, when Steph sits down, try to hit the beginning of the chorus; similarly, the edit where you move to CU should cut at the beginning of the line) - I think it would work a lot better. Not so keen on the edit at 21s - you cut from an MLS to another MLS; it looks messy. Either cross-fade or find a different shot/ angle?
ReplyDeleteI'm not at all keen on the effect you've used; it makes the image look very degraded. I like the black and white, but not the grungy quality. Is the original as bad as you suggest? If so, you may need to reshoot during the day (possibly during the holiday, when you'll have more chance for better light?) This would give you the option to shoot a wider range of shots.
Be careful with some of the camera movement; it's still quite jerky. I think the problem is a light camera and a light tripod; if possible, I would stick with static shots, if possible.
I rather like the ending, although it's a little jarring that it jumps from b&w to colour. Also, do you think it works that the mother appears to see her before closing the curtains? I do like the way it's composed, but in narrative terms, it seem a little closed. Could you edit it to make it a little more ambiguous?
Overall, I think the idea is fine and the general tone works; I would like to see it with the singer interspersed, to see how that carries the narrative. I also think Steph's performance is excellent.