Editing

Here are some screen shots from the last sequence of our film. This is something I did unintentionally really because I was just having a play about with the music and the shots to see what a montage would look like with this nice piano music I found on SoundCloud. I started off by putting some images of the animals above the music and realised that some of them went really well with the music and some the animals would move or do something just as there was a certain note in the music. 

 

For example there is a noticeable change in the note when the parrot moves it head, and when the owl looks down there's also a prominent note. There is a part when the music speeds up and for this I found a long shot of the Shetland Pony running next to the big horse who's just eating, I thought the shot was funny because of that but the running of the horse when with the quick pace of music. I would say that's probably my favourite cut in that sequence.

                                      

I decided to fill the whole piece of music with animal shots but instead of looking for sad ones of animals just looking in to space or looking sad towards the camera I wanted to use all the action shots that showed them doing something and behaving in their natural way. This was because I didn't want to end the film on depressing note I wanted to people to laugh or feel positive because I thought that would be much stronger.

                                                                           

                                                                           

                                                                           

I then found an interview bit with Pam where she says she doesn't know what she'd do without the refuge if it was to close and she will just have to not let that happen. I thought this was a very poignant and moving thing to end on and that the montage would flow nicely of the back of that. What she says is quite sad but it also shows how strong she is because she is determined to carry on and I like the audience could take two emotions from that. 

Also because it does have a slightly solemness to it, that's another reason I didn't want sad looking animals because I thought it would be too much and would be taking it back to the whole appeal thing again which I didn't want. 

                                            

                                        

During this interview she had a cold and just after she stops talking she wipes her nose, which is just gold because you couldn't have planned it any better. She says something that's sombre and her tone is also quite gentle and lowered at this point and then the tissue comes out and makes it look as if she is going to cry and then it cuts. 

I think this shows how easily things can be manipulated in a documentary because it is inferring something that doesn't actually happen and people don't know she's got a cold and it also cuts so you don't see the whole context of the interview. At the same token we have not made the footage up and that is what actually happened so it's easy to see why people have many arguments about the truth in documentary.

My rule was not to have any people shown in the montage but I found this shot of Sandy with Harry the monkey from last semester and I thought it was quite emotional and it paying a little homage to Sandy who was a big part in our last film. I also thought it summed up nicely the bond between the animals and people in the refuge, which was important for me to show in the film because it makes the audience care more.

This was the last shot I used in the sequence, mainly because it always seem to receive good feedback as people like the Porcupine because the way it looks so I thought it would be a quirky ending. I also like the ways is looking up at the camera and then just walks off as if to say I'm bored now and then that brings the film to a close. If I were to cut on an action shot it might have felt unfinished so I think this ended it well.