Recording the voice over

The final part of construction is the voice over. We left this until last because it is easier to work around the footage as opposed to working around the voice over. 

The tools we used were:

• 2 Macbooks; 1 for watching the video, 1 for displaying the script 
• 1 iPhone 5s for the Voice Memo 
• 1 pair of Apple Earphones (built in microphone)

By viewing the trailer on one Macbook, James, Chandler and I were able to time the cues for pauses and when I should start recording my voice. Having the script on the other Macbook helped to remind me of the lines in case I forgot the words. 

The process involved recording more than one take so we could pick the best version to put in our film trailer. From my phone, I attached the voice memos to an email and sent them to my school email. We downloaded the clips and imported them onto Premiere. We used the razor cut tool to divide the voice memo into pieces which made it easier to place the voice over in the right sections.

Trailer Draft 2: New Intertitles

Having analysed the Kung-Fu Killer film trailer, we were inspired by the gradual movement of the intertitles and wanted to achieve the same effect with our intertitles. We also made the subtitles a little smaller and changed the content of the intertitle because "Blood will spill" sounded too much like a horror film. 

EDITING: Voice Over Script

Together we transcribed the different themes in our film onto the voice over script which will be spoken by me. We will be using the Voice Memo feature on the iPhone to record my voice.

The Yakuza are defined by 3 principles. [pause]

[Japanese words are said aloud, English translation are in subtitles]


 

Chusei (Loyalty ), Gaman (endurance), seigo-sei(integrity ).

It’s never been in my nature to sit down and be idle. 

It was always about obeying my father’s wishes.

But I’ve realised… 

It means nothing to me now. 

My “family” fail to notice the Yakuza blood coursing through my veins…

I have never stood a chance against my brother.

I’m tired of walking in his shadow.

I have what he has, the power, conviction and blood thirst. 

Once I’ve climbed to the top… No one can stop me

They’ve underestimated me for too long.

I will dispose of anyone who gets in my way; even if it means burying my loyalty 

Possible Intertitles:

Blood will spill  
 You have to fight...... To prove your worth

Family will mean nothing

Editing: Cutting Footage

During editing, we realised that some of the footage we filmed would either disrupt the pace of the trailer or some of the footage just didn't fit together because they didn't make sense when put next to the new scenes. This was a difficult decision to make because the shots were quite good.

The city montage disrupted the flow of the story no matter where we placed it, so we decided to cut it out. 

We also cut the scene of Marcus shooting the gun because we had the same shot of Chantelle; the victim's point of view shot would be less potent if we were to use the same idea twice. 

The shot of James being threatened and killed on the staircase would reveal too much of the plot so we decided to leave this scene out. 

We collectively decided to delete the footage of Daniel being shot on the floor because the scene also disrupts the fast pace of the fighting montage. 

The additional flashback scene of the younger Kazuo was also cut out because it would need further development that wasn't really necessary because he is not the protagonist. 

Trailer Draft 1 (without the voice over)

We recorded audience feedback of the trailer firstly without the voice over to test the clarity of our storyline.

These are the questions we asked our peers:

1) What is the genre?

2) What do you think the plot of the film is?

3) What stood out to you the most? 

4) Did any of the scenes confuse you?

5) How can we improve our trailer?

Case Study: 'Kung Fu Killer'

This case study is specifically for analysing the effects, editing, intertitles and subtitiles. By viewing foreign films such as 'Kung Fu Killer', we gained some insight into what the fighting scenes should consist of and the way the shots are pieced together. 

The exposition begins with the establishing shot set in prison, accompanied by an announcement about a homicide which immediately presents the problem. The close up of Donnie Yen indicates he is the protagonist and the fighting ensues after his plea to make an "urgent call" is rejected by the police officer. At this point, the low hum of the background music ceases and is replaced by loud thumping sounds that match the fighting. The fighting scenes are compiled using fast-paced cuts and by sandwiching the slow motion within these fast cuts, the action is emphasised. The flickering effect also intensifies the fight sequence.

The plot develops as the reason for the fighting was to get the attention of the higher ranking officers. The production logos are then edited after the exposition which allows the audience to digest the exposition. The protagonist reveals he can help the police "catch the killer" which is followed by a jump-cut to a shot of a victim. This leads to the protagonist being set free.

The first intertitle is inserted to begin another sequence "FIVE GRANDMASTERS" in a sans serif font (sustained throughout the trailer ) which conforms to modern action films. The intertitles briefly introduced the main characters, the shot of the villain lingered longer than the supporting characters. I also noticed that the intertitles travel; the slight movement ensures that the pace is not disrupted. 

The title and credits have conformed to the conventions because they are placed at the end and entail the details such as dates, website, and the director.

Editing: The Flickering Gun scene

James was not available to edit today so Jasmine, Chandler and I proceeded on to adding effects. I edited this flickering gun scene by using the razor tool to divide the clip into small sections, after that I dragged a transition effect, specifically 'dip to black' on each section to achieve the flickering effect you will see in this video:



We were very excited.