Editing Graphics
This was challenging since I was using some techniques that I have not used before. But it was great to stretch myself, in both Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects.
“A Trilby in Time” and “A Gareth RB Edwards Film” opening credits
I had tested out the idea of having Sam P and Sam F1’s feet reveal and remove these 2 credits. I made this effect using masking and cropping. It is a process that takes a long time since you have to mask every individual frame, but I am really pleased with the result. I wanted a really strong beginning (and ending) to my film, and I feel I have achieved that strong beginning with this shot, despite the time it took.
Text messages
I had found some YouTube videos on how to create text messages in Premiere Pro or After Effects. Generally, After Effects is better for this kind of thing. Th instructions all seemed pretty straightforward, but things are often not as easy as they seem.. There were 2 versions, one for a stationary shot, where the text messages just appear in one place on screen. And there was another by the same person for a shot where the camera is panning round, showing how to use tracking to make the text messages appear in a plane on screen that moves as the person (Sam) texting moves. So, of course, I wanted to use the fancier one, because I think it looks more sophisticated.
The first challenge I had was that although I was following the instructions for how to make the text bubble shapes, my version of After Effects was different to his, and so I couldn’t just follow his instructions. To solve this problem, I first looked online for a .png file of text bubbles. After quite a bit of looking I found one. I needed a .png file because I needed it to have no background, since removing the background would be quite fiddly to get it looking good and take quite a while. It was still quicker to search for one.
I put the .png file into Premiere Pro. Then I used the crop tool to single out the bubbles. I added the text I wanted using the text tool. After this, I then exported just one of the bubbles as a .mp4. When I put this file into After Effects it still had the black background in.
So to get rid of the black background I tried exporting it as a .png file rather than as a .mp4 file, which removed the black background, which was good.
I continued in After Effects. I worked on the tracking, and the original videos that I had watched were now helpful, and I successfully made the text message bubbles track the pan as I wanted.
This was completely new to me, and, although it was frustrating at times, I used my problem-solving skills to find a way through it. It is my favourite part of my film. I feel this is a significant new skill to add to my abilities and I very much look forward to learning and experimenting more with it in the future. I also now examine graphics and postproduction effects in films even more closely now.
I did a lot of postproduction graphics editing in my film. Here are some more examples.
Sam walking in front of credits
I made all the credits as if they were part of on-screen world. So I have made it that when Sam walks past credits, he walks past them as if they are in his world. He also stops to look at them as if they are in his world. I use masking and cropping to get this effect.
Jack (Quest) Harper As Sam credits
This is one of my favourite credits. It took a lot of fiddling to get it right. I used key frames and moved it manually to get the effect of the credits swinging on the end of the rope after Sam “hits” the credits. I know it’s not perfect, and I could have spent even longer fiddling with it, but I am really pleased with the effect. I also made the credits swing in a 3D plane, as they would do if they were really there.
Anna played by Ellie Simpson credits
The audience can see here that Sam approaches from behind the credits which are on the fallen tree trunk.
Then the audience can see him walk round and in front of the credits.
I enjoy coming up with this type of detail, it is something that my research into Edgar Wright and his films helped me to identify in myself, and that research informed many decisions like this in my film.
A 90% Bloopers Production credits
Here you first see the credits on the tree at too sharp an angle to read. This is partly to make the audience curious and also because they have to be there already since they are part of Sam’s world.
As the shot angle changes, we see him walk past in front of them.
Adjustment layer for Aspect ratio
After I had done a load of ratio calculations, in order to get the black bars right for the Aspect Ratio change, I remembered that YouTube exists, to look up how best to achieve this effect. YouTube is my friend. I used an adjustment layer and cropped the video.
These photos also show the blue tint that I added when the bars are present to give a more cinematic feel, to emphasis the change from 16:9 to cinematic 21:9. I got this idea from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010). In it, the director Edgar Wright does the same thing for comedic effect, which worked well.
Choice of font for Opening Credits and Design of End Credits
I have discussed my choice of font for Opening Credits and Design of End Credits in the Section about Opening Credits and End Credits.
In this Year 2 FMP I have significantly enhanced my graphics skills.