Final Cut Q&A and Shortcuts

Three ways to open up Final Cut Pro:

• Desktop > doc > open up Final Cut from there
• Open up Finder
• Double clip on the Final Cut logo on the tab bar      

What four keys are often used with keyboard short cuts to get functions or commands?

• Ctrl
• Cmd
• Option
• Shift

How do you access a short cut menu?

Click the right click

What main menu can you find the import command?

It's in the file menu in which you can find the import command

Three ways to open a clip in the viewer

• Double click
• Drag to the viewer
• Select it and press return

Aside from the play button what other keys can you press to play the footage?

• Spacebar
• L key

Which keys move the player forward or backward in one frame?

• The arrow keys
• The J key for backward and L key for forward

How do you mark the in point or a outpoint on a clip?

• By using both the I and O keys

Which button do you use to edit a clip in the canvas?

• The red overwrite button

What visuals help you identify first or last frame of the clip?

Film strip appears on the left side of the viewer

When viewing the audio portion of a clip instead of the visuals what do you see? 

The waveform display

Three ways to create a bin?

• Cmd B
• Control and click in the grey area
• File, new bin

What are the keyboard shortcuts to hide, save and quit Final Cut? 

• Cmd H = hide
• Cmd S = save
• Cmd Q = quit

Shortcuts

Cmd B =  create a new bin

Right click = opens up a short cut menu

Down arrow = moves the play head forward or to the next point

Up arrow = moves the play head backwards

Left arrow = goes one frame to the left

Shift, left arrow = moves the play head one second to the left

Right arrow = moves play head one frame to the right

J key = plays footage in reverse/rewinds

K key = stops the clip

K and J = slow motion

L = fast forwards

Shift and spacebar = rewinds

I = sets an in point

Shift and I = moves the play head to the in point 

Option (alt) and I = removes the in point 

Shift and O = removes the outpoint

Shift and X = removes both in and out point

Cmd H = hide

Cmd shift and S = save as

Cmd S = shift

Music Video test shoot

Below is the test music video me and my group made. The purpose of this test music video shoot was that we wanted to put the information into practice and get a rough idea of how things work. It also helped us to recognise the pros and cons of our video and what can be done better the next time we film and edit. We chose to make a music video of The Fray - How To Save a Life. All in all I was very pleased at the final result and I think some of the pros were, our variety of shots, effective use of white balance, easy going and engaging narrative and a steady hold on the camera. One of the cons of the production would be we could have centred the camera more by applying rule of thirds.

This is the direct link to the music video we made:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwiUeTRt51ykQjhqUG8wdy1Yck0/edit?usp=sharing

Analysis of lighting in a scene

Three point lighting 

Three point lighting is used in visual media. For example in film and television. It forms the basis of most lighting and it is key in understanding lighting in general. The three point lighting technique uses three different lights. These lights are called key light, fill light and back light. One light becomes the key and two then becomes the backlight or the fill as its known.

The key light is the main light and it is usually the strongest most poignant and influential light on the scene. The key light is placed on one side of the camera/person so that one side is well lit and the other side has some shadow.

The fill light is the secondary light and it is positioned opposite of the key light. The purpose is to fill the shadows which are created by the key light.

The back light is placed behind the subject and hence lights it from the rear. Instead of providing light from the front like the key and the fill it provides the highlights of the location around the subject. The purpose of this is to help separate the subject from the background and this in turn helps to create a three-dimensional look.

Hard and soft light

Hard light is created from a single point light source so this means that light rays are hitting the subject at the same angle. Because all of the light is travelling from the same angle it creates what is known as a definitive or hard edge on the shadows. So therefore a hard light source is developed. Hard lights are often used if film and TV to fake daylight.

There is hard light and then there is soft light. The effect of soft light is that it creates a soft shadow on objects. This is created through the use of a broad light source because light is being sent through from all sorts of angles. The edge of the object or subject is hit from the light at many points at once hence causing a soft roll off of light all at once.

My analysis of lighting in a scene - Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope

I analysed a scene from Star Wars - A New Hope because I felt that lighting was used effectively to portray atmosphere and mood while creating an engaging narrative. The first shot of this scene opens up with a medium shot of a door and there is a big flash of light red. This instantly engages the audience and draws their attention towards an oncoming threat on board the spaceship. This shows the use of a fill light.

After this shot the camera turns to the action of the characters under attack by lasers and it shows them covering and firing back. This shows a hard light and the lighting is a little bit darker. This a expressive piece of lighting because it shows the scene to be dark and dangerous. It also creates a scary atmosphere because us as the audience fear for the characters safety. This use of lighting also relates the character because it shows them living in a hard futuristic society fighting in a new century. We feel for them because it shows how they have had to adapt to what they have grown up around. After the shots in the hallway on the spaceship the characters are then engulfed into a trash compacter. The lighting in this is more naturalistic because it shows the environment which they are in. The lighting is more of a soft light and it is a lot lighter. There is also a red tint to this shot making it look more dirty than it is.

If I was to recreate lighting for myself in my own film lets say for my proposed short film Lose Your Mind then I would choose to use  naturalistic lighting so to expose my character Luke as a lazy person who has no goals and is addicted to the video game Law Breaker. I would also choose to use a key light on Luke. The reason that I would do this is because it would show him to be lonely and also so that it can symbolise that something is missing in his life.  

Idea generation - character sheet and narrative

Character sheets

During one of our lessons with Pat we looked at character sheets. A character sheet is a list of information about a character in a film/television show and they are often given to the actor in the pre-production stage so that they can get to know the character they are playing as best as possible.

We developed our own character profile sheet of a character we like from a film or television show. I picked Rick from The Walking Dead. Below is a brief character profile of Rick.

Name: Rick
Gender: Male
Age: 30-35
Nationality: American
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Dress sense: police sheriffs uniform
Personality: tough, fair, strong, kind, harsh at times but always makes the right decision for the good of the group, he is also reliable and honest.
Friends and family: Rick has a son and wife. Later on there are character developments with his family. He also has quite a few friends , however not all can be trusted. Many also die throughout the series.
Appearance: tall, big arm muscles and brown hair.
Health: Rick often suffers from a lack of sleep, stress and hallucinations.
Ethnicity: White

My Character Sheet

I then went on to develop another character sheet for a fictional character which I thought up. Below is both sides of the character profile sheet I filled in. During the lesson we had to talk about our character to other students in the class and then match up our character with another students characters. The student I matched my character with had a very similar character to mine. My character is very shy and she isn't a people person and doesn't like socialising. She also grew up with no parents. This was the case for the character Abbie who was a very similar match to my character Mollie.

Narrative

After we paired our characters up we then had to come up with a narrative, a tagline and title for the characters in either a television program or a film. We chose to create a television program for them which would be called Numerical Order and the tagline we came up with was Two women; one legacy.

The basic synopsis focuses on the two characters Mollie (19) and Abbie (30). Both characters first meet nine years prior when they are 10 and 21 at their parents mass funeral. Their parents both work for an illegal business which they are the managers of and they run it. This stops them from seeing their children so to protect them. When Mollie and Abbie are 10 and 21 their parents die in an attack at the business. Their parents were scientists and they didn't do well in the real world of work so they set up an illegal business in which they hired hit men to assassinate un-convicted criminals. They then operated out all the criminals vital organs and sold them at a high price to wealthy people who needed life saving treatment. As a cost of such crimes the business comes under attack and the majority of the workers are killed. Nine years later the business is under threat of being completely shut down because the remaining workers leave. To keep their parents legacy alive Mollie and Abbie  meet up and decide they will re start up their parents business.

.

Music Video Assignment 1 and 2

Assignment 1

During our lessons with Darren we have been studying and analysing music videos. We had to do three individual analysis' of our own choice of music video. Below are the three music videos in which I analysed.

Mumford and Sons - Hopeless Wanderer

In the music video for Hopeless Wanderer there are various genre characteristics. The videos main genre focuses on summer and a band of men and their strong friendship/comradeship with one another. The other main genre featured in this video is comedy. The relationship between music and lyrics is that the lyrics start off slow and calm and the video is nice and serene. The first verse is "you heard my voice"  and this is very soothing to hear and it shows one of the actors playing a band member walking into the light. The relationship between the music and the visuals is that the song starts off peaceful and gradually descends into a chaotic dance. This is all shown through the visuals in the video. There isn't a notion of looking in the video because there are only four subjects in the video and these are four famous male actors playing the members of Mumford and Sons. This can link into intertextuality in the music video. This is a concept-based narrative.

Bastille - Things We Lost in the Fire

In the music video for Bastille's Things We Lost in the Fire the main genre characteristic
is of murder and the aftermath of violence. The reason we as the audience know this is because there is constant close-ups of bullets dropping to the ground and there is a use of a pistol so this henceforth reinforces the murderous genre. The final clue which adds to the genre characteristics is that at the end of the video there is a pool of blood running outside of a car and the main singer is shown to be upset over something he could have done. The relationship between the lyrics and the visuals is that the music video starts off sad and the music is very slow and dreary and as the video progresses so does the lyrics and they both tie into each other well as the climatic part approaches. The relationship between the music and visuals is that there are no instruments shown in the video. The video clearly focuses on the narrative and the lyrics link to what the main character has lost by certain actions. There is a slight reference to the notion of looking. This is through various close-ups of a girl. This could be argued that it is there to please the eye or on the other hand it aids the narrative.

Chase and Status - Count On Me

Through my analysis of Chase and Statuses music video Count On Me I would say that the genre characteristics suggest that the genre of the video is crime/urban and that it is a showcase of street life. The reason I say this is because the filming is done on a handheld camera and this gives it more of an urban feel. It also makes the music video seem more surreal and lifelike. Other characteristics in the music video which give it a street like genre is the fact that there is many shots of the London borough and gang and drug culture. There is a image motif and the notion of looking in the video which can be linked together. This is because there are constantly close-up shots of the main female singer singing and close-ups of her appearance. She is wearing very little so this could have been placed there for the notion of looking. However it could also be argued that she is there as part of her image motif. The relationship between the music and the visuals is that the music starts off in a party like tune and the visuals constantly start off crazy and upbeat. The visuals also show the crazy day in the life of youth adults in London. This matches the lyrics perfectly. This music video is a concept-based one.  



Assignment 2 - Analysed music video full essay

After doing a short analysis of all three of my chosen music videos I then chose to go in depth and analyse the song Things We Lost In The Fire by Bastille. The music video belongs to the genre of crime and its genre characteristics come under the theme of murder and violence. 

There is a good relationship between the lyrics and visuals in the music video clearly aiding the narrative. For example the lyrics start off in the song saying "things we lost, to the flames" and it is very slow and sad. The visuals start off as a long shot of a load of wolves in the snow who are running in slow motion. This symbolises through the use of lyrics and visuals that some form of relationship is broken and that the running of the wolves resembles the coming back together or a discovery. After 50 seconds the lyrics start to run at a fast pace after the lyrics "these are the things, the things we lost, the things we lost in the fire fire fire". The visuals along with this show the wolves running at a faster pace hence showing the narrative moving forward and going towards the climatic part of the video.  After this verse the main character in the video then goes on to "we sat and made a list" and the lyrics are faster but you can tell the pain in his voice. This goes along well with the visuals because there is a close up of him tossing a bullet and looking guilty. This suggests he has done something wrong, possibly a violent/murderous action. By the end of the music video as the climatic part in the lyrics occurs, the end shot shows a massive pool of blood running out of a car. This ties in well with the lyrics because it aids the themes in the narrative to portray the narrative in a violent/sad way.

There is not much of a relationship between music and visuals , however the video does still cut to the beat and the video does change pace with the music.  For example as the first first starts off slow and sad so does the video and it shows a sad atmosphere. As the pace fastens up in the lyrics the video cuts well tot the beat as it shows a jolt in the wolves pace as well as a fast cut to the main character.  In the main chorus when he sings "these are the things, the things we lost, the things we lost in the fire fire fire" the video cuts well to the beat and the camera shows close-ups of both the male and female and they constantly cut to each other. This shows through the relationship of music and visuals that these two characters have a connection and that there story is possibly the main focus on the narrative. There are no musical instruments in the music video to accompany the video. This is because the music layered on top of the video tells the narrative in a good way.  

In the music video for Things We Lost In The Fire there are various close-ups of the main male singer Dan. This could be argued that these are image motifs clearly identify the artist are are there for selling purposes only so that they sell more of the single. There are also various close-up shots of bullets  as well as showing Dan who is upset and clearly very hurt. This is key to the narrative by showing the damage that he or someone else has caused.  In the music video there are minor references to the notion of looking. For example during the duration of the video there are many medium and close-up shots of a girl who is wearing thick lipstick and is pouting towards the camera. This could be looked at in two different ways. For example the first way it could be looked at is that the purpose of the shots being there is because it is there to please the eye and to make the video look nicer. The second way it could be looked at is that it could be there to aid the narrative and hence shows why the main character is sad. Because possibly he killed her. In my opinion I feel this is why the director chose to put the shots of her in the music video. 

There is some intertextual references in Bastille's music video for Things We Lost In The Fire. The style of the music video has not been copied however the music video is very similar and relates to David Guetta's music video She Wolf. This is because both music videos are set in a snowy mountainous location. Both videos also involve wolves running. As well as this the two videos open up with an extreme long shot of the wolves. I don't think that this was done on purpose. I just think that the reason for these two music videos being so similar is because they portray the exact mood of the narrative very well. The music video for Things We Lost In The Fire is a concept-based narrative. This is because the lyrics don't actually fit to the visuals and they don't tell the story. It's the visuals which tell the story and move the narrative forward. 

To conclude my analysis of the music video Things We Lost In The Fire I will list the main points of the video. Some of the main points to discuss would be the placement of a female actress who often in the video is shown in close and medium shots. This can be argued either way that her purpose in the video is for the notion of looking or too aid the narrative. Another main point would be that the main genre of the music video is crime. The genre characteristics which suggest this are the themes of murder and violence. There is also to conclude a good relationship between the lyrics and visuals. This is because the lyrics help to portray the visuals as a narrative. This isn't because of the actual lyrics but because of the way they are sung and the positioned of them at certain visual moments. So this makes the video a concept-based narrative. 

Final Cut Pro interface

Final Cut Pro tutorial

During our lesson with Paul we did a tutorial on the basics of Final Cut Pro and a step by step guide of how to start a new project. Below is a step by step guide which I have created through screenshots.


1) The first screenshot is of the two windows on Final Cut Pro when you initially open it up.

2) The second step once you have opened Final Cut up and have the four windows is to go on the top menu and click Final Cut Pro. Once you have this up click on Audio/video settings.

3) Once this has been opened up a Easy setup menu should have popped up. If you are editing footage which was filmed in HD make sure you select the format so that it is in HD. This is so that your footage can transfer across as HD. Make sure to change the use drop down menu to the model of your video camera. If you used a Sony Z5s or Z1s change it to HDV - 1080i50.

4) After you have changed the audio/video settings to your correct preferences click setup and then four windows should open up.

5) After you have done this make sure to then go onto file and the system settings and then scratch disks and set where you wish to save all your video and audio documents in your own personal documents.

6) If you have recorded all your footage on video tape , upload it by plugging in the Sony Z5s and then click on file and then log and capture. The footage will now upload. Once the footage has uploaded click on file and then new project and you are ready to edit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 



 
 
 
 
 
 



 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Call sheet

What is a call sheet?

A call sheet is a list of key information which the actor needs to know so that he can appear in the production. All this information is also necessary because it makes sure that the actors are efficient and on time and also so that they are happy and confident with everything which is going on. The call sheet is handed out in the pre-production stage of the production.


CALL SHEET

PRODUCTION NAME:	Lose Your Mind (working title)
Director	Sam Goodfellow
Producer	Sam Goodfellow
Camera	TBC
Sound	TBC
Lighting	TBC

Location	Southend College
Weather	Unexpected at this date bring clothing appropriate for both hot weather and cold weather.

Scenes	Pages	Day/Night	Int/Ext	Location	Synopsis	Other
1-3	1-10	Day	Int and ext	Southend college	Luke Is in his flat playing games/goes to work and therapist.

Character	Cast	Pick-up	Arrive	Leave
Luke Therapist Extras	TBC exactly but friends or performing arts department	8.15	9.15	15.00

Make-up/Costume	Actors to provide their own
Lighting	TBC
Sfx	TBC
Catering	Actors to provide their own.
Transport	Public transport. Eg – train, bus, car etc.
Parking	Southend college. Cost is £6.50
Toilets	Southend college
Other	N/A

Actors contract

What is the actors contract?

The actors contract is a contract which an actor signs in the pre-production stage of a production. The contract lists everything which they are taking part in and what they get out of it. For example, if there is a pay, what character they are playing, what the film/television show is, the dates of the shoot etc. This is all necessary because it means that they have a clear understanding of the outcome and what they expect to get out of it. It also prevents them from fining the production team for not paying them etc. 

ACTORS CONTRACT

Name of actor: actor cast for role                                                      Name of production company: SceneItSam Productions 

                                                                                                                   Company address: N/A

Actor or Agent’s Address: N/A

Date  10/10/13

Dear  actor cast for role 

This letter confirms agreement that you will take the part of  Luke in the film Lose Your Mind. This is the working title and the final name of the film may change. As you know, this is a low budget production and we are keen to ensure that everyone understands the basis upon which the Film is being made. If there is anything about this letter that you do not understand or you wish us to clarify, please do not hesitate to contact us.

1)You agree to be available to work during the filming period (“the Shoot”)

 from April 2014 to  June 2014    (or you can name the exact dates).  

2) You agree that the filming will take place in the following locations

Southend college, other locations tbc.

3) You agree to give over any rights you may have in the finished film to SceneItSam Productions.  This will allow us to distribute the film in any and every way we can.

4)  We will pay a fee of  £0 for your performance in this Film.  You therefore agree that this film is purely a student film which will gain no profit. However we will provide you with a free copy of the DVD which can act as a piece in your portfolio which can gain you future acting roles. 

5) We will aim to ensure that working days are not longer than 10 hours.

6) We will do our best to ensure your health, safety and welfare during the Shoot.

7) We will have public liability insurance to cover you during the Shoot.

8) We will provide you with food and refreshments throughout the Shoot.  We will liase with you over your travel arrangements to and from the Shoot and either provide transport or pay travel expenses which we need to agree in advance.

9) We will be provide you with a VHS of the finished Film within 3 months of the completion of all post production.

signed by the actor                                                      signed on behalf of the company 

date                                                                                date

Shooting People Good Enough Contracts

These contracts are designed to be  ‘good enough’ for low budget filmmaking.  If you have a commission from a TV station or are making a fully funded feature film, you should seek to use the PACT contracts (Producers Association for Cinema and Television – www.pact.co.uk) which are based on full Equity fees and contain a great deal more details about exclusivity, overtime and repeat fees and copyright clearances.

These contracts are designed to be as clear as possible – no fancy legal language just plain English.  They have been drawn up in consultation with a professional media lawyer, Mark Lloyd.

The contract should be printed out on company letterhead.

2 copies signed by the producer should be sent out – one for the actor to keep and one for them to sign and return.

WHAT ARE THESE CONTRACTS FOR?

A contract is there to protect - to protect the producer and to protect the actor.

A contract makes sure there is as much clarity as possible between both partners so both know what to expect from the other.

 You should always use a contract with your actors no matter how informal the shoot.  It will save you from the consequences of any misunderstandings or disagreements further down the line.

The Shooting People Actors Contract contains things that the actor promises to do – such as turn up.  These are covered in the first 3 clauses which start ‘you agree’

And things the producer promises to do – such as provide insurance.  These are covered in the last 6 clauses which start ‘we will’.

AT THE VERY LEAST

Shooting People members expect that at bare minimum, a producer will pay for travel and food expenses, provide a copy of the finished film and provide Public Liability Insurance to cover the crew and cast for any accidents during the production.

We strongly urge you to retain these elements to the contract, even if you amend or remove other clauses.

RIGHTS AND PAYMENT

Creative people such as directors, writers, composers and actors automatically own the rights to their own creative contribution to a film.  In order to sell or show a film the producer needs to control all the rights to the film.

On a fully funded production, the producer pays the actor money in exchange for which the actor assigns all (or some) of the rights in their work to the producer.

On low budget films the producer is often paying the actor a minimum fee or even no fee at all.  Yet they must still obtain the rights they need to distribute the film even if they simply wish to show it online for free.

Ideally actors will agree to assign all rights in a short film or low budget feature when they sign the contract.  Largely speaking these films do not make much, if any, return on their original budgets and those involved are doing so in order to progress their careers so asking for all rights to be assigned is a reasonable request.   However you may be forced to be specific about the distribution rights you want to clear with the contract – they are primarily cinema, TV, film festivals, internet, video and DVD.  

The draft contract is filled in with the Equity Film School rate - £36 a day - this does not legitimise your shoot in the eyes of Equity, these rates are intended only for film school productions, separate rates apply to low budget productions.  See the ‘Paying Actors’ FAQ for more detail on actors rates.  If your film is very low budget and your actors have agreed to waive their fee, simply remove this clause.

DEFERED PAYMENT CONTRACTS

Both producers and actors are aware that every low budget feature is a potential Blair Witch even though the odds are very low indeed.   It may be that you have an actor who you consider to be essential to the production whose agent is not prepared to sign away all rights for no fee or for only the Equity film school fee. In this case you may want to consider an additional deferred payment contract which promises to pay the actor more money if and when the film is a commercial success.  [see Deferred Payment Contract]