Most applications reserve keyboard shortcuts for the functions that are used most often. It is really good to learn all of these as it will speed up your editing and additionally alert you to functions that the software developers and other users find important. (You can learn much about the software by looking at keyboard shortcuts).

Find the keyboard shortcuts for Adobe Premiere and note two or more functions that you’ve never used before that may be invaluable to editing.

Above lists some of the shortcuts for functions used most often in Adobe Premiere. Aside form these one shortcut I found really useful was one Paul noted in the lecture of dragging sound under a different shot by holding down the option key making it an L cut. This will save my search for the ‘split audio from track’ or similar option that would most likely be hidden in some menu that is untraceable even with the aid of a help tool.

And secondly, though I already knew about using ‘i’ and ‘o’ to indicate the ‘in’ and ‘out’ for the clip I did’t realise it could be added to the sequence by simply pressing ‘,’ . The comma seems like an unusual choice of shortcut key so if I hand’t been enlightened at the lecture there is a high chance I never would have known about it and spent great amounts of time dragging from the clip to sequence and most likely accidentally clicking something along the way.

Shortcut screenshots sourced from http://helpx.adobe.com/en/premiere-pro/using/default-keyboard-shortcuts-cc.html

In this clip screened in the lecture from the Coen brothers ‘Blood Simple‘ describe what is happening in terms of the edits specifically in terms of the audio and video. Also name the different kinds of audio you can hear. 

The clip from the Coen Brother’s ‘Blood Simple’ was shown in the lecture to aid the idea that vision and sound do not necessarily have to be cut to what happens but to what continues the music and sound flow. When watching the clip you start to notice how the camera will cut away from the person talking and to the person listening, through this sound adds continuity and has the ability to convince the viewer they have seen the character’s mouths move. In the clip the vision and sound are no longer cut at the same point, this is something the lecture emphasised as editing vision is independent of sound and can be dragged under different shots.

In the clip you firstly hear the sound of the dead fish hitting the table with the base sound of crickets and cicadas which continue throughout the scene almost to form a constructed heartbeat. We then hear the lighter snapping shut and placed down on the table, the dialogue between characters then begins, the chair squeaks as the Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya) sits down and the forklift can be heard moving around as background noise. The Private (M. Emmet Walsh) then hands him an envelope and we hear it opening and the paper on paper effect as a picture is slid out. We then hear the pencil slide the fish across the table and the heavy breathing and swallowing by Julian as he expresses his discomfort. Julian then stands and we hear his footsteps as walks to the bathroom, the door is pushed open and the distant sound of vomiting and the toilet flushing, footsteps and then tap opening and water rushing as he washes his hands is heard. We then focus back on the Private as he butts out his cigarette and then a fly sounds as it circles around his head. Then the clicking of the combination lock on the safe and the safe door opening, Julian then places down of stack of money on the table and the chair squeaks again as he sits. We hear him swallow as he drinks and the sound of glass being slammed down. The sliding paper as Julians foot pushes the paperwork and money across the table, as the Private reaches into his pocket we identify the clicking of revolver which he then uses to shoot Julian. The Private then places the gun on the ground and we hear it slide and hit nearby objects as he violently kicks it away. The money then rustles as the Private tries to shove it into his pockets, and the adjusting of clothing as he fixes his hat. His footsteps are then heard as he walks away and the door closes shut. The ceiling fan then increases volume as it transitions the next scene.

The best example from this clip to demonstrate the ideas raised in the lecture is the part where Julian is in the bathroom being sick while the Private waits in the adjoining room. It is not necessary for the audience to see Julian as sound demonstrates what’s happening in the bathroom – we hear him vomit, the toilet flushing and then the squeaking of the tap handles and gush of water – from this the audience can construct what is happening and put this into context for his return to the scene.

Consider Sandra’s lecture “Directing Actors” and describe at least a couple of points that you took away from it (even if you’re not the director).

Casting

Firstly, cast well, take your time and don’t say yes to the first person you remotely feel good about. Give them a scene to do and watch them act as dialogue often makes the best auditions as they allow you to hear them speak and think the thoughts of the character.

Rehearsal Period

Keep the rehearsal period brief and don’t get over entangled with all the other technical aspects of the film. Actors need to think about what’s on the page and you should influence them in a way that they think they think it – the way you talk to actors should make them think from the inside out. Ask them a lot of questions, for example what do you think the story is about?

If you don’t have a dialogue heavy script, use the camera and try to do the scene as it would be done on location. Dialogue gives actors movement and more action, so if you don’t have this you’re better off physically doing the scene and getting the aesthetic of how it would be shot.

Production Side

Find a way in which to cut scenes in order to decide what can go come 6pm at night and you run out of time, therefore have B-scenes. To have something opposed to nothing is really important.

If you’re shooting out of order, playback emotion for actors will keep continuity. Experienced actors will have their head around where they are emotionally in a scene, but it can help to constantly walk around with a script and note how an actor acted scenes before the scene you’re about to shoot, how did they exit that scene? Have those transitions in place to help you remember when shooting out of sequence. Two questions to ask yourself: A. What was the camera doing, how did we shoot the scene? and B. What emotion was the actor feeling?

Actors on set

The director shouldn’t talk extensively to actors on set, that should be done in rehearsal, on the day it’s about everything else. As a director the best way to interact with actors is with honesty. You need to be delicate and articulate things simply, for example ‘I just need you to be a little happier’ – it’s about saying the right words but not too many words. Actors sense when the director isn’t happy, most of the time it isn’t their fault but simply not as the director envisioned and it is you who will have to change the approach.

Costume/Production Design

It’s the little things that help the film look better. Put your effort into lighting the scene and identifying the elements that make it look aesthetically pleasing. If you have to merge scenes think about how to incorporate the essence of one scene into another.

Actor/Director and Director/Camera

Relationships are the most important on set. Even though the camera dominates the set the director needs to be able to split the focus, it helps if you get the actors to do work beforehand so your attention can be put towards other priorities on the day.