Final stages of movie-making

Press, 8 February 1985, Page 13

Final stages of movie-making

By

GRAHAM PARKER

and

AVENE FLANNERY

Making your own home movie. Final part. We have covered the basic applications of the five Cs (continuity, camera angles, cutting, close-ups and composition) so now we have a look at the final stages of the movie-making process — editing, dubbing, graphics and final presentation.

If you do not have an editing suite or you are not familiar with this vital phase of the operation, look for help from the experts. Whether you work alone or with guidance from an editor, remember to apply the acid test to each frame. This will help you to retain what is good, reject what is poor, and will maintain viewer interest throughout your presentation. This is what good editing is all about — streamlining a collection of shots into a visual story which interests and excites the viewer.

If you find that a shot or sequence which you particularly want to include in the final version is not quite up to the standard of the rest, re-shoot whenever possible. If the taping was done “live” at an event which cannot be repeated, keep the segment as short as possible and make use of appropriate lighthearted comment in the dialogue to cover any gaffe. It does not always work, of course, but it can be quite effective when the presentation is being made for family and friends only. Audio dubbing can be a lot of fun or an absolute nightmare and the basic rule of computer programming is a good one to keep in mind here: K. 1.5.5., or Keep It Simple, Stupid! As far as possible, let the pictures speak for themselves or you may find the narration distracts the attention of the viewer and the over-all effect and impact of the presentation are lost for good. Work to a written script and do not be afraid to leave the Actual writing of this until after you have completed the edited version of the visuals. This will save a lot of rewrites and give you a much tighter time schedule to work to. Remember that what is

being said must match what is being seen EXACTLY — it is no use having a commentary which is trying to explain action seen five minutes ago. If you decide that your visual presentation can stand alone without commentary or narration but would be enhanced by the addition of sound, choose the accompanying audio inserts with care. Instrumental or orchestral pieces often work better than songs with lyrics which may distract, but tempo, mood and subconscious relation must be considered. By “subconscious relation” we mean melodies, excerpts, or themes which the viewer may automatically associate with another film, television programme or stage show.

If your presentation is for public consumption in any form, take care to ensure that you are not in breach of copyright in your selection of audio material. Permission in writing and published credits, along with payment of royalties where applicable, are the absolute “musts” in this case.

Graphics also require a great deal of care and painstaking attention. If you saw the “Spot On” programmes from TVNZ which dealt with the schools’ video competition, you will recall the emphasis the judges placed on this aspect. Regardless of what form you choose for your graphics, some basic rules should be observed. Your title, for example, should be as short as possible to make it easily read and should have a direct bearing on the contents. It does not have to be a literal rendering of the entire presentation and you can have a lot of fun coming up with something suitable.

For example, if you have taped a family holiday trip to the West Coast you could

call it “Go West, Smith Family” or “East-West Passage.” In other words, anything but “The Smith Family Goes to the West Coast” or, even worse, “Our Trip to the West Coast, Christmas 1984.”

Use your opening i graphics to set the mood of the presentation as a whole and do not be afraid to experiment. Try your title against a plain background and play around with colours and lighting, close-ups and camera angles. Then try it against the opening frames of the sequence or against a still shot. Perhaps there is a shot or sequence somewhere in the programme which epitomises the whole message you are trying to get across — use it!

Finally, if your video movie is for other than your family library, take the extra time and trouble necessary to make it appealing as a physical object. A plastic cassette cover with provision for inserting a slick is more pleasing and offers better protection for the tape than a cardboard sleeve. The few dollars spent will not be noticed in the over-all budget and it will also give you the opportunity to try your hand at designing a suitable cover slick.

We hope you have fun making your movie and that our tips and suggestions will help you along the way to a new career. Our object has been to remove some of the mystique which is inclined to surround the whole operation and to show you how easy and enjoyable making a video movie can be. We hope we have succeeded.

P.S. We almost forgot THE golden rule: Always use the best possible equipment and good-quality videotape; anything less will disappoint in the long run.