Affiliation - Short Film - Continuity Edit

Affiliation - Continuity Edit - Evaluation

The continuity edit of my short film relies heavily on the master scene script and storyboards, which it remains faithful to for the majority of the time. When comparing the final continuity edit of my film with my final storyboards, this is clearly noticeable. The combination of both camera and editing techniques alongside the solid planning that has gone beforehand, enabled the film to appear as professional as possible. In this evaluation, I will go on to break down the process behind the camera and editing techniques used during the creation of this particular cut of the film.

The edit begins with an extreme close-up shot of a central character’s pocket watch, this shot also pans slowly to the right, as noted in the storyboards. The amount of techniques used within this very first shot hopefully establishes the level of professionalism that is to come from the use of such innovative shots. A long establishing shot follows this, which introduces the audience to the three characters present in the location, with the shot being lined up in perfect unison with the bar itself. The lighting here is noticeably yellow tinted and off-coloured to give the vibe of an old western aesthetic, with the seemingly warm environment giving the idea of a closed and isolated space to the audience.

An example of continuity is shown when one of the characters is escorted out of the bar by the barman, with the shot changing angles midway through his departure, in order to further illustrate the layout of the bar in the audiences’ minds. The reason that this is an example of good continuity being that the characters remain where the audience would expect to see them, without any unnatural teleportation between shots - as this would be an example of unintentional non-continuity, which shows a lack of professionalism.

The standard medium close-up shots of the characters are now introduced, which remain relatively consistent throughout the edit and should flow naturally and go unnoticed in the eyes of the audience. Mis en scene helps to give the next character a sense of threat, due to the dark atmosphere that surrounds him as he makes his entrance - with the close-up tracking shot of Spencer’s feet being one of the most notably stylistic in the entire production.

The low angles that this particular character is shown from should be noted, as this is an intentional detail to make the audience feel as though they are below him. This contrasts with how the previously introduced character; Benjamin, is portrayed - as he is intended to be a relatable character, as opposed to Spencer. The production was shot using the Single Camera technique, as opposed to the multi-camera technique, meaning that “shot reverse shot” was used frequently, although the actual effect is completed during editing.

During the film’s midway flashback sequence, a wide shot showcasing all the relevant characters is once again employed, acting as an establishing shot for this short sequence. This was done in a similar manner to an earlier shot in the film, so that the audience can follow the sequence of events clearly. The next notable shot is a tracking over the shoulder shot, which is used to great effect in order to reveal the film’s supposed antagonist; being the character of Anthony, whilst also showcasing the reaction of the other characters.

Another notable camera technique used throughout the film is a shift in depth of field, a primary example of this is when Pete the barman has a realisation, he faces a board on the wall (mis en scene), before the focus shifts from him to the object - as does the character’s thoughts. This effect was also employed during other moments of significance throughout the film, generally between two or more characters during conversation. The effect was put to good use in my opinion, as it emphasised the importance of the dialogue being spoken to the audience.

During the editing process, I put my past experiences and knowledge of the editing process to good use. The overall aim of this particular edit was to maintain a steady and realistic pace that would appear satisfactory in the eyes of a general audience, perhaps even being comparable to a professional and fully funded production. Therefore, I ensured that my edit stayed in line with the established storyboards that came before it, with techniques such as the aforementioned “shot reverse shot” method being used consistently throughout my continuity edit of the film.