https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXB6slJSbL4

For the life of me I could not think of a scene to deconstruct, but during the writing of my previous post on editing, it had hit me… the church scene in Kingsmen! The moment I first saw it I was completely captivated and have been in awe of it ever since. So what was it that stood out to me so much that I smiled my head off?  No, it wasn’t the content despite how entertaining it was, it was the shot composition and more importantly the editing of the scene which made me fall in love with it.  Throughout the scene the audience is constantly bombarded with information/events and stimulus but are still able to easily follow it due to its seemingly continuous stylised long shot. . in an age where quick cuts dominate fight scenes (at an average of 3-4 shots per second in more intense ones), Kingsmen took a different and more ‘simple’ approach: for the most part, follow the protagonist in a single shot and only shift the lens away from him when something significant is shown off side. As for when the protagonist it shown performing actions, they are typically slowed down to enhance detail, showing us more of the action, or sped up to show a quick succession of multiple actions, (with footage also being sped up between more comparatively insignificant actions), additionally, thanks to intermittent reaction shots of other characters watching the same scene as the audience as well as hidden cuts in the ‘long shot’, the scene is able to be well edited to be in time with the music; a strange but fitting choice of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Free Bird’.
With almost every beat we are presented with an accompanying intense physical action, offering the audience nothing short of what could be described as a beautifully violent dance. Thanks to the power of editing we are given an exciting and exhilaratingly intense scene in place of what could have been a terribly generic, lacking, and more common fight scene. Most scenes of the same nature allows for mixed responses and interpretations, usually limited to just ‘look, action things are happening’. But this scene is slightly different: thanks to its pacing and manipulation/contortion of time the audience is almost subconsciously commanded to have fun. The jarring ebb and flow of the scene paired with melody forces the heart of an immersed viewer to fluctuate at an unsettling rhythm. If time were left unaltered, the scene would likely drag on far too long, despite the shot composition, but with some clever editing we are left with what I perceive to be one of the best (or at least most fun) action scenes in history.

https://vimeo.com/234337039
For fun I decided to go back to an old video I made back in high school as an editing experiment. I wanted to see if I could take footage from a (seemingly) innocent source and edit it in a way to become menacing, and so I decided to parody the intro to American Horror Story using only clips from Teletubbies. To my surprise it had seemed to work, almost too well. This made me realise that the editor holds a near-infinite amount of power, as much as a director, and can ultimately change the course of a film – det–rmining feel, pace/rhythm, music, lighting, and so much more. By simply speeding up some shots to look unnatural, changing them to black and white with added saturation, and adding some unnerving music, I had changed these once innocent characters, loved my millions (and hated by more), into something arguably more horrifying than the original show. This extends into my previous post on lighting, showing how one simple change can dramatically effect how a shot/scene is interpreted. The creation of this short little side-project of mine inspired me to experiment more with editing and revise over my choices in projects. Whilst far from perfect (or even good), it remains one of my favourite things I’ve made as that in the short time it took me to create (6 hours when bored FYI) I felt I had progressed so much.
Here is the original for comparison:

https://vimeo.com/234336073
Again, I am choosing another short clip for this analysis, (short and sweet, right?). nonetheless, whilst short it shall not be disregarded, as exemplified in my previous post.
Lighting is something that has always intrigued me, yet is sadly often overlooked (by myself, peers, and even pros). It can make or break a moment, but that seems to be the only time it is regarded; it either stands out due to its brilliance or for its’ lack-thereof – with standard, but effective, lighting being ignored.
Lighting is fantastic; it can illuminate obscure, reveal or hide, enlighten us or leave us in the dark, (okay, enough puns). Just by looking at the lighting of a scene or the placement of a character/object within it can tell an audience so much. A well-lit room with orange tones can give a sense of warmth, telling us a character is safe, whereas a darkened room with blueish/white tones can infer danger.
is that the hero of the story? If yes, then they’re likely well-lit. an illuminated hero is honest and open. Is that the villain? If yes again, they’re likely poorly lit, with a large portion of their face being obscured (but we need that to see emotions! Clearly got something to hide…). This can be shown in the accompanying clip: Adrian stands in the foreground well lit, whilst I remain in the back. Due to the lighting he is clearly shown to the subject, it is only when I move (first up, then forward – movement distracts focus too) into the light that my intentions become more clear.

Although short and merely a singular shot, the construction of this shot in class served as a great reminder of the existence of shifting focus mid-shot and of its uses. Personally, I tend to forget about this neat little trick, more focusing on trying to perfect one shot on one character/object and then pairing it with a reaction shot. The focus shift however, allows us to eliminate the unnessecary reaction shot and condense the two into one seemless shot, (this is just one of the many applications of the technique).  So what does the shot specifically entail? It is the simple shifting of the cameras’ focus from one subject to another, whilst being stationary, in order to shift the audiences’ focus. (to move the camera whilst shifting focus would be a pull-shot – as popularised by Jaws).
Additionally, it can establish relationships between items and/or characters;  by pairing the two into a single shot instantly creates a connection between them, and can be done via a characters’ gaze, referencing of dialogue, reactionary by emotion, or even silent –inferring relativity is yet to come or will become of importance at a later point. Whilst simple, the exercise proved to be a valuable reminder that the technique should not be overlooked, nor be taken lightly, and can be of great use to creators when utilised correctly.