Watching and Waiting - Scene 34 - Draft 1

For one week, we were given some clips and script pages from a feature film called Watching and Waiting; we were given the media and script pages for Scene 34. Our task was to edit this scene, paying attention to how we pace the conversation.

After editing, we watched each other's edits back and made 3 pros and cons for the way that we composed our edits, while following closely to the original script.

Pros
The edit was praised for how cleanly cut the various shots were. Those who gave feedback commented by saying that the shots were well timed in terms of when they were cut, so the scene was very easy to understand. This is good to know because it will come in handy for future edits when I need a coherently cut dialogue scene.

The second positive point I received was how I blended the audio in the clips quite well. The clips in this scene were notorious for having inconsistent audio; actors would sound too quiet and the sound of the oceans waves, as well as others in the background, were inconsistent. I had to use the Constant Power effect on my audio clips to create a smooth and unnoticeable transition, and I will be using this feature for other projects that require similar fixes.

The final positive was that I used the best takes possible in order to edit this video. I considered which shots were the best framed and had the best audio quality before using them. If I found the video to be good but it came with bad audio, or vice versa, I would try to sync the lips up with a different audio clip. The actors' deliveries were different in each clip, so I had to cut it in a way that didn't make this noticeable.

Cons
The first con that was noted was one continuity error late in the clip. In one shot, Thomas was standing up, but he sat down again in a shot after Katherine asked him a question. This threw the viewers off and can be easily mitigated by extending the clip or showing Thomas at least beginning to sit down.

The second negative point was how quiet Katherine was in some clips.  This could have been improved by using the audio from a clip in which Katherine was loud and clear, and she wouldn't necessarily have to have been seen talking.

The last con was how quickly the characters talk back to each other. This is an easy fix because I can simply extend the clips before and after the characters talk, making a slightly more human sounding conversation that doesn't sound too immediate.

https://vimeo.com/187685863