Planning and Pre-Production

Unit 12: Specialism Documentary

Contents

o Production Schedule
o Script
o List of items downloaded with references
o Contingency Plan
Production Schedule
Please include location, time of film, what you are filming and teams members
including actors

Date: 18th 24th September 2017

Monday Tuesday Wednes Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Research Research Research Research Research Research Research

Date: 25th 1st October 2017

Monday Tuesday Wednes Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Planning Planning Planning Planning Planning Planning Planning

Date: 2nd 8th October 2017

Monday Tuesday Wednes Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Film/edit Film/edit Film/edit Film/edit Film/edit Film/edit Film/edit

Date: 9th 15th October 2017

Monday Tuesday Wednes Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Film/edit Film/edit Film/edit Film/edit Film/edit Film/edit Film/edit
Script

Opening Montage

Sicario border scene

Saving private Ryan beach
Mad Max trailer
Raging bull
Raiders of the lost ark.
Star Wars
Jaws
Schindlers list
Apollo 13
The Deerhunter
The silence of the lambs
The Matrix
Lord of the rings

Introduction and description of specialism.

Editing on moviola
Film editing has been an integral part of the filmmaking process since its early
beginnings in 1878, when Eadweard Muybridge produced what is believed
to be the first motion picture.

Horse in motion
He achieved this by splicing together a small number of still images and
playing them back to create the illusion of movement. This process of taking
separate images and bringing them together can be considered the first
editing within a film.

Editing on moviola
Nowadays a film editor is responsible for assembling raw recorded material
such as camera footage into something that can be presented to an
audience and broadcasted.
Premiere Pro Final Cut Pro
The technological advancements of the last 100 years have given rise to a
number of specialised digital platforms on which you can now edit film.
However there were a number of stages that occurred before the purely
digital age. The job of editor was at first only associated with females within
the film industry. It was viewed by professionals as more of a systematic job
rather than a form of art itself. Nowadays however editors have the
tremendously complicated task of deciding how a film is to be viewed by an
audience, therefore being just as much of an artist as an actor or writer.

Developments and technology.

Editing on moviola
Developments in technology have changed drastically since they began
with Muybridge. Non-linear editing softwares have allowed editors to use
digital platforms to edit together productions. One of the first advancements
in technology was the Moviola, which allowed editors to study their recorded
film with greater detail and therefore make a more accurate decision as to
where they needed to make cuts. The next stage was the introduction of the
flatbed-editing machine known as the Steambeck editor.

The steenbeck editor

This machine was improvement from the excessively loud Moviola. After this,
we then go to the next stage, which is the non-linear editing softwares. Such
as Adobe Premiere Pro and Apples Final Cut Pro. Not only has the technology
used to edit changed drastically, but also new and more innovative editing
techniques have come about. When the editing process had been
established but not fully developed Hollywood decided to create a set of
rules that all editors must abide by. For example, that one must start with a
wide shot and progressively move closer to a subject instead of just cutting
straight to it. Nowadays as explained, there are many new and innovative
editing techniques. For example parallel and montage editing. These specific
techniques have now become an integral part of an editing process. The
reason for this would be their ability to tell the narrative in a more effective
way that engages the audience differently.

Godfather horse head

A great film, which expertly employs the use of parallel editing, is The
Godfather by Francis Ford Copella. This film uses a number of editing
techniques such as a combination of long and short shots, such as the scene
with the horse head. There is a very slow build up to the final reveal, which
builds up tension and suspense, which in turn makes for a more shocking
reaction to the scene.
Godfather Baptism
The example of parallel editing comes during the baptism scene where we
are shown Michael at his sons baptism, renouncing Satan whilst at the same
time we see the murders he has ordered being carried out. This editing
technique involves cutting two storylines together intertwining two sides of the
narrative. By allowing the audience to witness these two separate stories,
being told simultaneously you could influence how they feel about both of
them, as opposed to them only seeing one side now and another later.

In documentaries.

The house I live in doc

There are a number of documentaries which highlight how editing can be
used to invoke emotions within a viewer as well as push an idea or agenda.
For example the documentary made by Eugene Jarecki in 2012 called The
House I Live In. The documentary details the American War on Drugs. It
expertly blends the high octane drama and tragic nature of the topic to
create a film that leaves the audience shocked and informed. It also
employs the use of lots of old footage when discussing certain points in
history, by doing this transforms the viewer to that time period and allows
them to connect better to what is being described.

Harlan county, USA doc

Another great example of a documentary that affects viewers through its
editing is Harlan County, USA by Barbara Kopple in 1976. The documentary
highlights the nature of the American coal mining industry. The editing
specifically is effective in that it creates a sense of intimacy between the
viewer and subjects. We really are given a first-hand account of what they
went through, invoking sympathy within us. Close up interviews and footage
of certain hearings does this for us.

Final word.

Overall the video editing role is integral to the film making process whether it
be a documentary or any other type of film/video. As an editor you are the
deciding factor, which determines what the audience will see when they
watch the film. Although technology has certainly made the work easier and
more efficient, an editor must still be meticulous with their work. They must
also able to work creatively and efficiently with other members of the crew in
order to achieve the desired final product. However, it is not just what they
see. As an editor, you decide upon how the film is put together, how it flows
and ultimately how an audience member will interpret it. You are the final
person to work on the film before it is ready for an audience, making you one
of the most important parts of the creative process.
Downloaded Footage
Provide links and descriptions of the footage you have
downloaded for your documentary.

Link Description

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhHwgDAM8uU
Sicario border scene

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5p5j_K0CsY Saving private Ryan

beach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEJnMQG9ev8 Mad Max trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybst6CAzXCo Raging bull

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkkzKHCx154 Raiders of the lost ark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nywPf1p-BBY Star Wars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I91DJZKRxs Jaws

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdRGC-w9syA Schindlers list

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3J1AO9z0tA Apollo 13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXraLfhAWes The Deerhunter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Mm8Sbe__o The silence of the lambs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12u1nA7bXzc The Matrix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtEC3pNEMhY Lord of the rings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erZSLrLm2i8 Editing on moviola

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heRuLp7CyTM Horse in motion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUxbfiZ_-9Y The steenbeck editor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC1_tdnZq1A Godfather horse head

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHbQr6Xsy8U Godfather Baptism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0atL1HSwi8 The house I live in doc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PfaE4R4eA4 Harlan county, USA doc
Contingency Plan
What are your plans for if something goes wrong? What back up actors,
locations and equipment do you have?

I will not be filming any raw material, but instead using downloaded footage.
I will also not need any props or actors.

The one thing that I will need to prepare for is the device I use to record
failing. In the case of my phones voice memos not being suitable, I can hire a
voice recorder from college.