In my editing I tried to focus on action continuity for the scenes towards the end. As she is running from the house I cut the clips when she’s turning the camera towards the direction she’s running. I also cut when the creepy man lunges at her to increase the tension for the viewer. I focused on appearance continuity as the short is supposed to take place the same day, within about a six hour span of time, and all outdoors. I only shot on sunny days, around the same time in the late afternoon/early evening so it would be believable that she was heading out to the bar for the night.
I’m planning on adding a lot more audio at the end of the short for the final cut. I’m going to mix in some scary sounds coming from the house, and as she is looking for her keys the sounds will get gradually louder and louder. I’m not very happy with the shot of the creepy man with his arms outstretched at the moment, but I’m planning on adding distorted sound and visuals to keep with the distortion motif I established in the daytime shots. I’m also going to record some sounds of me crying/screaming so it sounds like she is in the house on the other side of the hole at the end of the short.
March 27, 2017 at 5:03 am
Hello,
Thank you for sharing and for your detailed explanation of your process and editing characteristics. I like the arc and how it all ends–I think making it clearer from the get-go why this is happening (a dare on social media? A bet? Trying to be famous…?) and showing us more glimpses of the main character earlier (like seeing the shadow, hands, etc.) would help audiences connect! More “post” moments (like when it’s clear something is for Snapchat) and earlier would cement your concept as well! Maintaining some kind of white noise will help connect the shots as well. Moving from the shot of the man to the grass was a little confusing for me–perhaps there is something in between to add. Thank you so much!
March 28, 2017 at 9:38 pm
Very cool approach to this project – it reminded me of how films like Paranormal Activity are shot. Your editing of the supernatural events were extremely well done, I’d like to learn this technique from you! Doing this transformed the film and really made the home video effect more refined which I thought added to the suspense overall. Really great job here! There were other affects that added to this as well – the choppy editing of the creepy man, and the light turned on to find the keys. These cuts were strategic, and because the audio played seamlessly over the top of all of it, didn’t feel disconnected or disruptive to the film in any way. A piece that was missing to me was that this was a peer pressure move which was described at the start, but you were alone here. Some context of why you were there was missing, but once the storyline picked up I quickly forgot and it didn’t seem to matter as much. I appreciate that after taking the risk to explore and having to return that there were elements that made it more realistic like the missing photo – this detail created great pacing and new images for the viewer to catch along the way which I feel is important in a single-location shoot. great acting as well, it was clear that this was told from your perspective and largely improvised but the point of the story was clear. Lastly I’m glad you left us hanging – really cool shot at the end and a great way to keep the viewer on their toes. Thanks for sharing, looking forward to seeing the final cut!
March 29, 2017 at 2:09 am
Lindy,
Studium – I think you could make an argument about how this film is really about gentrification. This woman has no business creeping around a place that isn’t hers. She’s warned that it’s private property but returns anyway. I know this is a stretch but I really liked your short film and I like reading too much into things, lol.
Punctum – I absolutely LOVED that the entire film was shot as if she were on Snapchat. It felt very authentic in that Blair Witch kind of way. I got really into it and my heart was beating because I was genuinely concerned about her safety!
Goals – I think the film’s goals were to show a woman encountering a scary situation.
Successes – The overall piece did a really great job of conveying the fear and tension the protagonist felt. I agree with your decision to add scary sounds coming from inside the house and of her screaming at the end.
Shortcomings – I don’t really have anything to add in terms of improving it. You wrote everything you’re going to add and I agree with all of it. I also agree with Jackie that you could add more “post” comments.
The Structure and Pacing were perfect, there weren’t any moments that felt over-extended. It really captures your attention from start to finish.
Sensory Alignment – I think it was a great idea to not include music. Everything from her nervous voice accompanying shaky movements, the rustling leaves, and the breathing are just enough to really capture the story. I especially love the sound effects at ~2:23. I don’t know if they’re actual ambient sounds or if you added them in post, but they aren’t over the top in a way that distracts the viewer from the story.
Great job! Thank you for sharing!
March 29, 2017 at 5:37 pm
Lindy, that legitimately creeped me out. Well done!
Studium: I think this was meant to be a mini-horror film, but I found myself thinking about some of the detrimental effects of peer pressure in social situations, particularly junior and high school.
Punctum: I really loved the shot where the camera pans down to show how shiny the protagonists shoes are. It’s such a great moment that reinforces the surrealism of what she’s experiencing.
Goals: I think the goal of the film is to create a tense, quasi-supernatural horror film.
Successes: Your use of distortion in certain moments, like before we see the male figure, and as she looks at the ‘hole to nowhere’ were very effective. I was reminded of the “Marble Hornets” series about Slender Man. I also enjoyed the interspersion of the filming with the snapchat style frames.
Shortcomings: I have to say that the one thing that really stood out to me was the moment when she goes back to the house she has already been warned away from, at night. Maybe it’s just me, but I felt like it would have been a better move to use that phone, call a cab, and come back in the daylight with some friends for backup. I didn’t buy the keys as a strong enough incentive.
Point of view: 1st person
Pacing: I thought the pacing was pretty good for the most part, but I was a little confused about what happened between the late afternoon and the night time. Did she go to the bar with her friends? What happenened that brought her back again?
Sensory alignment: I enjoyed that there was a mixture of voiceover and contextual sounds. The sound distortion that aligns with the visual distortion actually made my heart jump the first time. If there’s a way to block out the sound of cars in the distance (at least that’s what I thought I heard), that would help reinforce the feeling of her isolation.
March 30, 2017 at 12:09 am
I love the direction you took with this project. Your editing of the paranormal events were so impeccable. In a sense it reminded me of the Blair Witch trials. I really loved when the guy appeared out of no where in the beginning! I don’t know if you were trying to accomplish this but, I sensed some try humor and in a way that allowed for your film to be more believable, because of the disbelief in your voice. Doing that simply made the film come off home movieish. Really Amazing job! When the light turned on to find the keys, I mean girl amazing job. These cuts were strategic and very well thought through. The backing sound didn’t take away from the film it honestly heightened the suspense. The only short coming I saw was the peer pressure element, I wish you could’ve implemented some of your friends to really get that point across. But that was so minimal. I mean everything became such an amazing element to the film and made everything feel like I was there with you. I love the first person element of story telling, because we sensed your fear, anxiety, and creeped outness lol. I was waiting for the next thing to happen, the element of suspense was evident. I can’t wait for the final cut.
March 30, 2017 at 2:18 am
Lindy :
Studium. The film is about a girl who visits a creepy house where she is confronted by a strange man. She returns to the house after she discovers she’s lost her keys, only to be reunited with the man, this time in a more chilling manner.
Punctum. The most compelling detail in the film is the film distortion transitional effect before the protagonist first encounters the man. It produced an eerie, horror feel similar to the effects used in popular horror films. That effect was very unique and effective in helping to set the mood for the film.
Goals. The film aims to show the protagonist’s scary adventure through the use of shadows, sounds, and movement.
Successes. You did a great job of setting the film’s mood through filters and camera angles. The audience takes on the protagonist’s POV and feelings with her every move. Your film reminded me a lot of The Blair Witch Project and the shots/camera angles and sounds used in shooting that film.
Shortcomings. I would love to see the film’s events and dialogue supported by background music. Suspenseful music would help to set the tone.
Point-of-view. The film is shot from the perspective of the protagonist.
Structure. The film seems to be organized into two parts. The first part describes the protagonist’s discoveries at the creepy house and her initial encounter with the man. During the second part, the girl returns to the house after losing her keys and runs into the man twice more.
Pacing. The beginning of the film was paced well and flowed effectively. I think the scene with the protagonist looking for her keys could be cut down a bit so as not to distract from the eeriness of the mood.
Sensory Alignment. The sights and sounds of the film align. From the crunching of the leaves to the footsteps on the sidewalk, each sound accentuated the protagonist’s movements and really emphasized the setting.
March 30, 2017 at 2:21 am
Lindy, I really enjoyed your film and even found myself a little creeped out. Great work!!
Studium: This was a great take on a scary film. It was effectively done and I like the narration. I like that it was revealed that the person had given in to peer pressure.
Punctum: The Snap Chat format really stood out to me. I thought it was a creative approach and told the story in such a unique way.
Goals: I think one of the main goals in a film like this is make it genuinely creepy. I think you accomplished this so well.
Successes: This video did a wonderful job at telling a story in a creative way and keeping the viewers attention.
Shortcomings: After reading your notes, I can’t think of any shortcomings that you didn’t address. I am really looking forward to seeing your final cut.
Point-of-view: I agree with Ashley that the first person point of view was like that of Paranormal Activity.
Structure: I think the structure was done so well. Each shot was thoughtfully done and cut in a great way.
Pacing: The pace was perfect for telling this story.
Sensory Alignment: I think the audio and video was aligned perfectly. I do agree that the addition of music will help in the telling of the story.