Editing Footage

I started editing some of the footage the group has compiled as we have finished filming most of our opening and need to start the editing process. As it was my first time editing and using Final Cut Pro software, I only made minor changes such as colour correction and cutting unneeded footage.

To begin with I experimented with some of the special effects the software offered, but did not include any in the end as I felt they made the footage look more amateurish than before.

Next I experimented with saturation and exposure levels. As the footage is going to be used in a scene set at twilight/dusk, it needed to be made slightly darker and more shadowy, as it had been shot at an earlier time to ensure it was visible. To achieve this, I decreased the brightness of the footage slightly and brought the shadows that were already present forward.

Then I changed the colour filters on the footage to make it look a little darker and colder. To do this I increased the darker blue and purple tones in the footage and experimented with the more yellow tones in the religious mural to complement the yellow colour already present.

After making colour and lighting corrections I used the blade tool to cut unneeded footage, as the total footage we had was over 8 minutes long. I reviewed the footage and decided which shots were the most effective and looked the best after the corrections and kept those shots, cutting nearly 5 minutes of unneeded footage. 

Evaluation

I feel that while this editing session was successful, I didn't so as much as I could have if I had more experience using editing software. To improve next time, I will edit more footage to gain more experience with the software and improve the quality of the project.