Pre-Production Evaluation (Editing)

Editor- Sam Van de Schootbrugge

In order to produce the best possible film we needed to designate certain roles within our group. I chose to focus on the editing.

My role as editor is important for an excellent film. I get given the several hours worth of shots and filming, and must decide which of them look best. My job is to deliver good Composition and Continuity throughout the final 5 minute assessed piece so that the film can be scary for all the right reasons. Bad editing can lead to the audience becoming bored, the film not being scary where we want it to be and it could deliver the wrong messages.

I must produce something that is enjoyable to watch and in order to this I must have the idea for what our group wants our film to look like constantly in the forefront of my thoughts. This idea that we have set out to portray comes from several horror films that we have seen and enjoyed in the past. My other group member and I also wanted the film to be a horror which keeps the audience constantly thinking. We didn’t just want to make a ‘slasher’, because we believe that this could become cheesy and is and easy way of making a horror. We believe making a supernatural/paranormal horror would make it enjoyable to film and to edit, and would be the most effective way of scaring our target audience.

Also, as part of my role I will advise the director/cinematographer on shots and shot lengths depending on what I believe will look nicest when edited. I will also need to ask him to take as many shots as possible and at the appropriate length so that I can make the most of the material I receive and will then not have film it again.

The films that inspired us to follow this type of genre are classics such as ‘The Ring’, ‘Poltergeist’, ‘The Grudge’ and ‘Psycho’. For me they were great examples of perfectly edited films and also contain the same sub-genre; psychological horrors. The TV scene in The Ring is edited in such a way that we can really sense that something ‘supernatural’ is going on. Poltergeist also has a very classic scene with the TV in the bedroom. This scene is also edited to shows supernatural things happening. The Grudge has been edited beautifully by putting in lengthy shots to add tension and it slows down the pace to gets viewers on the edge of their seat during the more tense scenes. This example is what I am looking to do in our opening. The more tense shots will be longer in time than the shots where we don’t want to portray as much tension. Just before the end of our opening sequence I will try to increase the pace to add fear and anxiety to the audience (see shots 59-61 on shot list). Shots shown in the graveyard I will try to make long enough to show that the hooded figure is a threat, but I won’t make them too long as it could add unnecessary tension.

My role is largely towards the end of the filming process, but I will still be advising and contributing towards all aspects of the opening sequence.