Doc consturction
- 2. We started by creating a new sequence with these seconds. It was important to set the display format to milliseconds because we could then see the amount of time we had filled and the amount of time left to fill with footage. This would help us gauge how much time we had to set aside to edit the documentary.
- 3. The first thing we needed to do in timeline was create the name credits for the group. This simply consisted of going into the titles tab and creating a text box in which we input the names and dragged it from the project folder into the timeline, making it visible for around 2 or 3 seconds.
- 4. We imported the first clip of background footage for the opening montage into the media editor tab and placed an in and out point for the clip. This meant that the clip was cut to the length it needed to be so as to keep the proposed pace of the initial minute.
- 5. After doing the same for some of the other background footage for the montage, we needed the audio from an presenter clip, as well as the end of the clip to introduce the presenter. To do this we dragged the whole clip into the timeline and unlinked the audio and video. We then moved the video up a track, highlighted the video and audio, then moved the media above and below the current content on the timeline. It was then a matter of cutting the video away so that the montage footage would be seen up until a certain point and the audio would always be heard as a voiceover until it became diegetic on seeing the presenter.
- 6. Next we needed to follow a long lasting convention by creating a title credit for Steph, as she was the presenter. This was a matter of using the titles tab to create a text box, but also using the settings to adjust the size, colour and stroke of the text to make it pop whilst also being quite professional. Placing it in the bottom left seemed like the best location as its where the majority of titles are seen on existing products and because it doesn’t block the shot in any way.
- 7. Next we added the introduction animation which didn’t need to be cut as it was made in after effects and was already the correct length. We did add one piece of music under the montage and another beneath this introduction clip. This was to keep the documentary interesting and lift the pace and atmosphere of the piece at this stage. Allow the music to change seamlessly, a fade was added to the end of the first piece and second piece of music so that the sound would drop off in time for the next clip to fade in.
- 8. We added one of the first voiceovers from Steph, introducing the vox pops as ‘the public’. Then, a few pieces of background footage of older people in public were trimmed and inserted, to match the presenter’s narration, to a relatively quick cut of 2 seconds per clip. This allowed the section to keep pace and move on the narrative. The music from the introduction clip was also extended to keep the interest of the audience, rather than having a simple voiceover.
- 9. Eventually we looked through the adult vox pops and picked the three we thought we the best in terms of audio, representation and answers. We simply trimmed them and placed them next to each other, making sure to not take up too much time. 10 seconds was enough for three vox pops and took the documentary up to 45 seconds.
- 10. Next we needed to set up the base for the statistics to be shown. First the statistics voiceover was added to the timeline to allow us to know how long the background footage needed to be. To do this we inserted a clip of students climbing the stairs and sped it up by 5 times to fid the allotted time. This way the footage was made to look more visually appealing and wasn’t just people climbing the stairs very slowly. Next razor bladed the first and last couple of seconds of the clip to break it off from the main section. Then we used a video effect to blur the main footage to 75% to detract the audience’s attention from the plain background footage. Finally a fade was added to the front and back clips so that the footage would be shown normally, then fade for the stats, then fade back to normal.
- 11. To create the statistics we once again used the titles menu to create text and give it colour, but also keeping with a more professional font. To make the stats appear as we anted them to, we broke the voiceover into three key points which would become titles. To make them appear at the correct time, they were layered on top of each other on the timeline and each title’s position and size was keyframed so that they would zoom in or move to another position before the next would appear.
- 12. Next we moved on to the student vox pops, as these needed to be selected and trimmed as a vital part of the documentary. Background like the adults, three were chosen and trimmed to fit into about a 10 second slot. Also, background footage of students walking to the cafeteria was placed on top of a voiceover before the clips both to introduce the vox pops but also to make connections between other parts of the documentary and continue the pace.
- 13. After editing the student vox pops, we needed to move on the narrative by introducing the evolution of technology. We did this by moving an introduction presenter shot for the section to the timeline and following it with a phone timeline constructed in after effects. This was to keep the pace relatively quick whilst also allowing the audience to understand what was happening. Finally, the voiceover for the timeline was trimmed and placed underneath the clip and a music bed added to both clips to provide them with some relevancy to each other.
- 14. At this point we realised that we hadn’t edited either of the expert interviews so used he razor blade to cut the 3 minute long nick interview in to about 5 sections and over time whittle it down to four which were spread over the documentary in pairs valid to the point being made in that part of the 5 minutes. After this had been done, we used the title tool to copy the title used for Steph earlier, edit it to Nick’s name and occupation, but also changing the colour to denote him as separate from her. Like Steph’s title this also existed in the bottom left of the screen as it didn’t obstruct much of the shot and followed the convention of its placement in the bottom left.
- 15. After watching the first ¾ of the documentary, we realised that the shots of Nick had been shot at the same time but on different cameras which picked up light and colour differently. Therefore, in one shot Nick’s shirt looked blue, but in another, dark grey or even black. To change this we attempted to colour correct it using the fast colour correction tool and masking Nick’s torso so that the main portion of him would be coloured correctly in a dark blueish purple. It worked a charm, however it is noticeable when he moves his arm in certain places that it does become that dark grey colour when leaving the mask.
- 16. Moving on to the second interview the documentary became interesting to edit. As the interview was in polish, Magda had to cut up the interview into points and write a chunk of subtitles for the different clips. Then, titles were made for the bottom of the screen in a white, professional font to align with common conventions of subtitles. The text was split up in to line-sized chunks and was synched with the audio so that a polish audience wouldn’t be offended by sloppy editing. The screenshot shows the number of subtitle titles that were used to make the section work. Finally, we edited the expert title for the last time to a purple colour to show that Aleksandra was not associated with Steph or Nick and it was moved to the top left in the bottom left it would collide with the subtitles. Similarly to the Nick interview we then scattered the interview through the documentary to fit certain points and to provide different perspectives.
- 17. To finish the documentary, we used the final voiceover related to an ‘after the break’. Over this we trimmed and places related background footage about students and vinyl. This put the documentary at 4:57 so we decided to copy and paste the introduction animation and its music as a sort of motif for being shown before and after an advertisement break. Doing this finished the documentary.
- 18. After a long and tiring construction process we ended up with a documentary that was exactly five minutes long!