First I will link to my Daily Creates: http://blog.corrigancompositions.com/even-more-daily-creates/

These next two weeks we will be working with video. Very daunting. I have some experience with editing but only in cases where I had to put clips back to back. I have never thought about what looks good or worried about continuity. Next week will be a ton of that. I know how to work Windows Movie Maker to a limited extent so I think I will be alright.

I began looking at some video assignments for next week and I have picked two that I really want to try. One is the Recursive Camera assignment and the other is the Animated Music Video. Not only do they look fun, they look challenging and inspiring. I could probably skirt around and choose some easier assignments but I want to do those assignments that I am proud to show off.

This week we learned all about the different aspects of film-making: what makes it difficult, entertaining, etc. We read a very interesting piece from Roger Ebert that explains how you should can look at movies and analyze the different shots or techniques used in the presentation.  Next we had to view 5 different videos about some techniques, flaws, and what film editors actually do. For fun I decided to watch all of them. Yes it actually was fun.

To start putting all this new information in motion, we were asked to watch a scene from a movie in three different scenarios while keeping our newly acquired skills in mind. The scene I chose to watch and review is a brilliant scene from the newer Ocean’s 11. Here is the clip:

First I watched the scene with no sound. I began to notice different shots and angles that I normally wouldn’t notice. There are many shots that frame an actor like a portrait, some shots that contrast, and others that show a bit of confusion. I also noticed colors. Color is used in this scene to separate the two groups of characters: Pitt and Clooney and then Gould. It is also used to reference time periods in the story. Gould’s colorful attire also shows his eccentricity.

Second I watched it while I covered the screen. The music and dialogue in this movie is a 10 and this scene is just another example. Sharp, biting dialogue from Pitt and Clooney is much different than the sloppy, humorous dialogue from Gould. The difference highlights different perspectives in the film’s dialogue. During the story that Gould tells, period music plays to match each scene. It seems like an obvious choice but it helps the narration.

Lastly I viewed the clip normally. I simply noticed how well the contrasting visuals went with the contrasting dialogue. I may have viewed this particular scene about 20 times in my life but I have never paid attention to how well the dialogue, music, colors, and angles all work harmoniously.