Amateur Filmmaking
With the upcomming commercial, I’ve been doing a lot of research on SL machinima the past couple of weeks. I run very hot and cold with wanting to be involved in this aspect of creation. You’d think as a filmmaker I would have embraced it from the start.
Last summer I worked on a short piece by doing all the animations for the main character. The thought of me doing that was far better then the actual experience was. I think for the most part my issue was that they wanted too many animations in a very short time and then the script just kept changing. I worked my ass off and luckily got it done on time.
At that time, I started watching a bunch of projects that people had posted on the forums and youtube. This nagging voice inside my head kept repeating the mantra of “just because you have editing software doesn’t mean you can edit.” I know it sounds so snobbish. But it’s bloody true. It doesn’t mean that you can only edit if you’ve gone to film school. I watched people pay thousands of dollars and take all the classes and just still not get it. And I yet remember an amazing stop motion animation short in my first semester film class. Editing is an art form and like everything else creative some people have it and some people just don’t.
So, instead of me just harping on everyone and screaming amateurs(!), I offered editing classes. See, very few people have a pure natural talent and it’s pretty damn obvious that you couldn’t say that about any of the stuff I saw. While there are certain rules, most can be broken given the right circumstances. It’s more of teaching a way of thinking and seeing. The only problem is is that you can’t teach that in a day. It needed to be broken up into a series of classes.
So, I spent days and days writing out all the different aspects I felt would be helpful. I got screen grabs of all sorts of films. I really spent a lot of time on these classes. I even offered it twice per week. But like everything in SL, while people were excited for the first 2 classes they just stopped comming. Ok fine… I didn’t need to waste my time if no one thought they needed it.
Anyways, I’ve been watching all sorts of projects this week and it’s making me want to gouge my eyes out. I’m serious. I am so tired of seeing cheesy transitional effects. I’m tired of seeing lllllooooonnnnnggggg shots where there is this pause before and after the movement. I’m tired of not seeing cutaways. And I’m really bloody tired of the amount of disolves people use. We have a saying.. if you can’t cut it, disolve it. Which means when there is no way two shots that need to go next to eachother can work, you throw in a disolve. But they are so overused in amateur video. When you overuse anything, what happens is the reason for it is completly lost. I even remember the sheep boasting about some corp video they made a while back that had a disolve between every bloody shot. ‘eh but then again, that is corporate video *laugh*
I’m going to make my commercial anyways. Yeah, it might not be “flashy” (aka overflowing effects) enough for some people. But I now know no one else that I could find has used the idea I’ve planned.
Sorry.. just had to rant.
April 29th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Why not post some examples so that everyone can learn?
April 29th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
I’m not going to post bad example because I don’t like pointing fingers. Not to mention it’s not a good learning tool.
Currently I’m working on the tutorials for the website, but it’s pretty indepth so I don’t know how long it’ll take. The bulk of them will be editing since that’s what I know best. Along with that I’m writing ones for pre-production and production.
But since you asked here are some basics:
1. Don’t overuse transitional effects. Those are your fades, wipes, disolves, pushes, ect. It’s the effects that happen between the cuts. I suggest when first starting out to make your rough cuts without using a single one. It’ll teach you to think about how the cuts go together. While these effects do have meaning and can further certain emotional responses, used incorrectly you’ll overshadow the psychological effects and leadins between two different shots.
2. Titles: : Keep them on screen just long enough for you to read them three times. You typed it, so you know what it says and that makes it difficult to guage the length. This is a generally accepted rule to ensure everyone else can read them also without them being on screen too long.
3. With SL machinima, most scenes usually only have 1 set up. Meaning 1 angle and from 1 distance. If you shoot each scene from different angles and get wide, med, close-up and some cutaways you’ll have more to cut with. This will make the project feel more real and full.
4. Cut on movement: You can easily cut between different angles and types of shots by starting the movement in one and finishing it in the next.
5. Come in late, leave early: Don’t bore people by cutting to a static shot, then the subject moves, then a pause, then cut to the next. Trim the fat. Cut in during the movement and cut out before it stops. Unless the pause is for dramatic effect.
6. Tell the story. Everything you do while editing is to further the story. This does not mean you have to tell it in a linear way. If you are making a documentary you have a story. This person did something and/or this thing happened. If your project is more obscure, instead of a story you should have an idea that you are trying to get across.
7. Do not be married to your footage. If something is not working, cut it. Don’t leave it in because it looks cool.
8. A good trick to know when to cut is pay attention to when you blink.
9. Just like music, moving pictures has it’s own beat - visual rhythm. Choose music that has either the same beat or a complimentary beat. This is a difficult thing to explain. Try watching things with the sound off.