EDITING THE FILM (PROCESS)

The film was one of the trickiest parts of the whole process as it required to learn new skills for a programme that was new to everyone. We took various steps until we ended up with our final product and these were:

-Importing our clips from the memory card into Final Cut Pro (a software we used on the MAC computers)

-Choosing the clips we were going to use and edit and putting them in order on the timeline in Final Cut Pro

-Editing the clips

-Adding effects (transition, sound effects, distortion effects etc)

-Adding the credits, statistics and our 'special thanks' names who helped out during the film. 

We knew we had to split these tasks to make sure they work out equally between all of us, however my group wasn't as devoted as I was to this task and I found myself doing these tasks while my group were on hand to give me tips and help of what they thought should be added. Some tasks we did as a group where we had discussions of scenes which need to be altered or re-filmed, but when it came to doing this some of my group members didn't help out so again I found myself completing their tasks.

Once clips were uploaded into Final Cut Pro which took a long time as they were such big memory, we had the task of finding which clips we wanted and what we didn't. We found that the last clips of each scene were our best out takes as they had no jerky movements from bad filming, or bad lighting. When decided upon which clips we wanted, we sequenced them on the timeline.

We then had to crop each clip down to our satisfaction, using the tools acquired on Final Cut Pro. We the tools trim and blade to cut any irrelevant parts of the scene we didn't need so we could keep to the film limit of 5 minutes. I watched our cut down clips a few more times as I noticed that we running over the film clips and cut out more parts we didn't need. Using Final Cut Pro has taught me new things, now when I'm watching films I think that I am able to do that and I tried things out in my own film. For example, when the character of Amy is on the phone to her mother, I wanted to have shot reverse shot to show that the conversation is happening at the same time, in two different locations. To do this, I bladed through both of the conversations we filmed at added Amy and then her mother by using the position tool.

The next step was to add the transitions between the shots where we wanted it. We used only a few transitions at the beginning and end of the film as we felt we didn't need too many. One transition we used at the end was last scene where Amy is apologising to her mum, which we then used the dissolve tool to flow the statistics into the film. Also, whilst playing around on Final Cut Pro I came across slow motion. I used this effect on a point of view shot of Amy's looking up at a character after to taking drugs. Using this effect made it seem to the audience that she is disorientated and unstable. 

We then had to add sound clips. As I didn't have a microphone on me at the time of recording, I decided to use the ringtone from when Amy's mum calls her at the beginning and the copy the sound from that and added it to the end when Amy's mum calls again. I used the same sound for continuity issues, as she has to have the same ring tone.

Lastly was adding the credits to the beginning and end of the film and the statistics. Final Cut Pro offers a range of different opening credits, of which we chose to use one which was a wooden floor effect that symbolises her house with spilt alcohol on it. This opening credit, I feel is very effective as it allows the audience to think instantly what this film may consist of. We then had to input the title into the credit which was simple as all I had to do was click on the box and write 'PRIORITIES'. 

We also have credits and statistic at the end of the film. The style I chose for the statistics creates an impact as  the statistic slides in with a black back ground and white font then instantly you see 'Don't let that be you' which is a direct message to the audience. We had a movie trailer effect at the end with insert of 'media group 3' and our names as directors, writers and producers.