7.28.2005

The Return

My film will be back either today or tomorrow. It's fairly exciting, since my entire project (barring a few pickup shots) is contained in embryonic form inside those six small boxes. I'm trying to pay more attention to the circumstances of editing for this film. By this I mean the physical and mental conditions, and how they will affect the finished product. My singular goal in making 'Survival Record' was to achieve an extremely ascetic, spare form. Very little music will be used and the shots were kept clean and straightforward, to avoid obscuring the main ideas in the script. I want the editing to reflect this, and emphasize the crispness which most well-edited films have.

I'm thinking about transferring the footage, then just sitting on it for a day or two before starting the editing process. Once I start editing, I'll likely stay up for as long as it takes to do the rough cut. Normally I import the footage, in a rush, after transferring, then start hacking away as soon as possible. I'm usually interrupted at some point, so I can't finish in the original session. I hope to clear my mind by waiting, and remove any anxiety or preconceived ideas about the editing, so I can approach it cleanly.

The other technique I'll try is punching in all my edits with in/outs in FCP. Normally I use the razor tool or drag to change the cut points. I hope punching it in will make the editing sharper and more rhythmic, without the 'floaty' or 'loose' feel I sometimes detect in my earlier work. Film has more tension in movement anyway, so this problem will be lessened, but I want the editing to be as tight as possible.

After the rough cut is finished, I'll spend about a week doing Foley. Not sure if I'll dub in every diegetic sound, but the important ones will be there. I've actually been using the inside of a van as the recording studio. It's extremely quiet and the small size precludes a lot of reverb.

This post is called 'The Return' because upon the return of my film, I'll return to my project, this time in post-production. I also recommend checking out an incredible Russian film called 'The Return' (Vozvrashcheniye). The director carefully creates a world where anything unnecessary is removed. The characters and settings are isolated so their connection stands out like a tree on an eroded mountain. Reportedly produced for under $500,000, the cinematography and score are also amazing. Highly recommended.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home