Planning Editing

What is the purpose of editing?

Editing is the method in which footage that has been filmed is put together in order to create a final narrative that makes sense to the audience using a software such as Final Cut Pro. It is used to create continuity as
it allows you to remove any mistakes made that disrupt the flow of footage. Without editing audience would be unable to comprehend what was going on as it would include unnecessary footage as well as mistakes made and therefore wouldn't make sense. Editing also allows you to add any effects to your footage in order to create the desired effect on your audience as it can effect not only to understanding of the footage by the emotion triggered in the audience. For example, in editing you can make your footage black and white to suggest memory in which the person is reminiscing on and therefore they understand what is going on in the narrative.


What style will you include and why?

Our editing style will vary in terms of pace to correlate with the song and therefore provide a deeper understanding for the audience. The artist is suggestive of pace in the lyrics of the song with lines such as 'live fast die young' indicating a fast pace and contrasting lines such as 'he's going nowhere' suggesting a much slower pace. Our editing will not particularly vary according to transitions, as we will mostly use a straight cut; however we will edit the actual frame to convey pace. Here are 3 examples of how we will do so and what effect we wish to create:

Time lapse

A time lapse denotes the photographic technique of taking a sequence of frames at set intervals to record changes that take place slowly over time. When the frames are shown at normal speed the action seems much faster. We will use a time lapse when the couple appear to be arguing with each other, as this effectively focuses on them arguing as well as suggesting that they are cut off from the outside world as people will be carrying on with their lives; suggesting isolation from reality as a result of their destructive relationship.It will create a fast paced frame and therefore portray the chaotic mind set of the two of them, giving the audience a deeper understanding of the song and consequently their relationship. We will create the time lapse by filming them arguing and then filming the world going on around them separately using Final Cut Pro during the editing phase of the production,

Slow Motion

Slow motion is created by filming the original footage and then slowing it down during the editing stages. It is normally used to stress the moment as it is elongated for the audience to focus on. We will use slow motion at the very beginning of the music video, when our artist is running over to her boyfriend as he is passed out. The shot will be from his point of view, and therefore the slow motion shot of Daisy running towards him will suggest that he is intoxicated and therefore disorientated in terms of his ability to see and properly process information. It will allow the audience to see the world from his point of view and therefore have a deeper understanding of what he is like.


Blurred Frame

A blurred frame consists of a deep focus, in which one part of the frame is visually clear and the other slightly blurred; created through editing software. Blurred frames are often used to pull attention to the main focus in the shot, the visually clear part, as the blurred areas of the frame become unidentifiable. We are going to use a blurred frame to pull attraction to the boyfriend.


How is your editing style conventional to your music genre?

Our main editing will be slow paced and simplistic in terms of the transitions, as we will often use straight cuts to do so, so that it is in time with the beat of the song; which is conventional to the indie genre as it is simple.
However the complex editing subverts indie genre because it gives something else for the audience to focus on other than the music. Indie artists often use simplistic editing so that they subvert mainstream style and focus on the music rather than an overcomplicated music video. However, our argument for subverting such conventions is, it allows the audience to understand the song in more depth and also provides an unpredictable music video to engage them and in turn, encourage them to understand the artist and song.


How does it build a relationship with your target audience?

The editing in our music video creates an illustrative relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. When the artist sings of fast paced narrative, the music video will depict such pace through the content in the frame. As when the artist sings of slow paced narrative, the music video will correlate. This allows the audience to have a deeper understanding of the song as they begin to comprehend what life is like in the relationship the artist speaks of. When the artist speaks of her boyfriend living life fast, the audience can see the chaos in their lives as a result, shown through the time lapse. Therefore not only do they understand what is literally going on in their lives, they also know the emotions stimulated from the artist as a result. This encourages them to build a relationship with the artist as the audience can relate to what she is singing about and therefore feel as if they know her more. It portrays the artist as an individual with common issues rather than a 'celebrity'.



This demonstrates a good understanding of planning techniques. You have considered a variety of editing styles that you wish to include within your music video. You have provided a range of examples to support your justifications, on why you have planned to use certain styles. But further explanation is needed of the effect it will create. This can be achieved by considering the style and narrative of your music video in further detail. 

Aim to include original photography to support the points that you have made.