Editing Day Blog Part 2

   In class today, we were finally able to edit our raw footage that we dumped onto our computer, as well as a USB, on the day of filming. Our previous plan of a group member bringing in their laptop to edit was followed through as I brought my apple laptop to class to use the iMovie app to edit. To even begin the editing process, we needed to dump all footage that was stored on the flash drive to my computer. Since we saved the footage in two different locations(the classroom computer and the USB flash drive), we were able to simply 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 my computer, I began to drag the footage and drop it into the iMovie app. Once in iMovie, we decided that editing in different categories would be most sufficient in getting the best takes in each scene. First, I began going through all the film placed all footage into categories of each scene; that way 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 beginning of the commercial to the end of it.

   Once all footage was went through 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 to keep the flow and make the commercial make sense. Once all footage was put into its proper time frame, I could begin the editing process. I began at the beginning of the footage of the opening scene of the student using the vape for it to be an establishing shot of her clearly being on school grounds as well as vaping. Since this was the first scene, there were no transitions needed into it as well as a lot of editing. During the second scene however, we began to decide on what angles would be best for the commercial. We decided that since the second scene is the two effects of vaping, addiction and lung cancer, coming towards the student; it would be best to use a mid shot to identify the effects as well as an over the shoulder of the two effects walking towards the student. As a result, 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 chose this because it would clearly identify what the effects were and would show the student who vaped facial expression of overwhelmed and scared to really get the danger and seriousness of these effects. The next scene being a continuation of the effects of vaping walking towards the student, grows with more intensity as the effects get closer to the student. I suggested that the best camera angles for this would be a high angle that would also be an over the shoulder shot of the two effects gaining onto the student who had just vaped. This way, the anticipation would slightly grow as the effects gained on the student who had just vaped.

   During the final scenes of the film, it was decided previously that it would be our group mate, that missed the day of filming, would have to mostly edit 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 suggested that the best transition into our next scene of my group mate and I giving a few facts about the effects of vaping, would be a dissolve because it will start a new and different kind of scene. In doing so it made the transition better and a lot more smooth. At the final steps of the editing process, we noticed the amount of background noise there was since it was a regular day at school. So I found the editing option in iMovie that allowed me to turn down the background volume without making it sound like the volume was lowered throughout the film.