The document discusses editing techniques used in creating a trailer for a soap opera. It describes using Windows Movie Maker for basic editing. Key scenes are analyzed, including using fast cuts to create a sense of erraticism, a sepia filter for flashbacks, and fade transitions to indicate a change in atmosphere. Feedback from a public viewing found the trailer was well-made and interesting but could be improved by fixing some audio issues and shortening transitions. Suggested changes were implemented.

1. Editing
Willow Catlin

2. Editing software
When editing the raw footage we used Windows Movie Maker,
a video editing software that comes with Windows Essentials.
Windows Movie Maker is a good video editing software as it is
free and has the basic necessary tools needed to create any
video. There are different editing software that have a wider
range of tools and effects but for the project we didn’t need
anything other than what was already available on Windows
Movie Maker.

3. Making the final edits
In order for our piece to meet the expectations of a
Soap under a prestigious institution like The BBC,
the trailer needs to reflect editing that is done with
quality and precision which uses editing techniques
appropriate for our narrative.
Once the final piece is made, there will be a public
viewing in order to make sure our trailer meets the
audience intentions we were aiming for, as well
finding any other changes necessary for it to be the
best it can be.

4. KEY SCENES
Scenes where editing techniques were poignant and
what effect they created

5. Fast cuts - As the narrative begins to turn more sinister, the
cuts speed up and become disorientating for the viewer in
order to express the erraticism of the husband’s fury
towards the wife, which as an abuser is meant to be
unanticipated and unjustified. The cuts shown in the picture
are done through 10 seconds of the trailer, which is quite
quick for cuts to be made but are effective in the way it
keeps the pace fast and thrilling.
Haze/Sepia filter - Scenes looking back on when the husband and the
wife were happy have this “hazy” filter overlaid. This gives it a dreamy
effect, as if it was the visualisation of a memory. The aim of this was
to show the audience that this was a flashback. This will then contrast
between the sepia filter, where the wife and husband are shown
alone from each other. The disparity between the high key lighting
exuding the adoration for each other, and the low key lighting from
the sepia creating shadows and implying something more sinister
makes it explicitly clear that they are two separate realities.
Fade transition - Moving between the scenes of them happy together,
to them entering the house for the wife to face the abuse are done
with fade transition which looks like they coming back to reality, away
from the idealistic flashback of them happy together. This
foreshadows that the atmosphere is going to change.

6. Colours - Within using signs and signifiers, we wanted
red to stand out as it represented the duality of romance
and anger which is most commonly associated feelings
with the colour red. In using a filter which highlights the
red nail varnish and lipstick of the wife, the audience can
use the accusations with the colour to deduce the
themes of the show.
Cross cutting - The scene where we see the wife
looking at herself in the mirror, there is the scene
of the husband standing in the graveyard
sandwiched in between. This use of cross cutting
encourages a non linear narrative, where the
viewer has to watch the entirety of the show to
understand how it all ties in which encourages the
viewers to watch the soap.
Text Cards – These cards invite extra narrative to the
piece where there is limited dialogue to make to
interest the viewer. The words used make what the
scene is trying to portray more clear.

7. AUDIENCE RESEARCH AND
IMPROVEMENTS

8. Public Viewing – 9/12/16
After a public viewing of the piece, we were
able to conduct a review of what went well
and what needed improvements. This was
done by allowing the audience to watch out
piece and then answer a questionnaire
which would give use the necessary
feedback to know whether our piece meets
the demands of the viewers and where to
develop.

9. WHAT WENT WELL

10. The results from the questionnaire gave overall positive results. Out of the audience of the public
viewing and the additional 30 individuals who watched it through a survey the results show:
“100% found the trailer well made”
This result benefits us as it shows that the trailer is appropriate for a professional institution like The
BBC, which is who we would pitch our trailer to.
“100% of the viewers found the trailer was appropriate for the audience we tailored it to”
One of the themes we wanted to make clear, is that we were appealing to a younger audience which
we believed was rather niche in Soap genre.
“100% were interested in watching the advertised soap”
This could ne considered one of the most important results. Obviously we want a good viewership,
and the efforts made when making the trailer were all in order for the viewers of the trailer to then
have an interest in the soap we were advertising.
“100% found the soap different and unique”
At the beginning of the project there was an audience research, that when asking a member of the
target audience of the trailer, they said they would want to see something “different and unique” to
make the soap special. With this being the goal we were aiming for, I’m very please with this result.
“80% found the plot matched their interpretation”
This not being 100% may look bad, but actually the point of the trailer was to remain vague and
inspire mystery into the viewer. The fact that not everyone could interpret the plot but found it
coherent enough to have 100% of the viewer’s interest proves that the trailer was successful.

11. CRITICISM AND IMPROVEMENTS

12. One of the comments from the audience was:
“the editing wasn’t as clean as it would have needed to be, to be shown on
such a well renown institution like The BBC. There were hiccups in the
audio and it was too loud in areas which caused the atmosphere to be
looked over”
A response like this is exceptionally helpful when picking out flaws that we
might not have already seen. There are limits with the editing software
used, however these were easily rectifiable.
The jumps at 1:44 in the audio of the v1 were fixed by relaying the track
on top. Removing the jump in the audio doesn’t interrupt the viewers
focus.
This particular scene was the one where
the criticism was aimed at; we cant hear
the music over the water which causes the
atmosphere to be flattened. This is fixed by
removing the audio altogether and just
having the music.

13. Another reviewer said:
“The visuals are interesting, but there could be more to draw
the viewer in, like text cards”.
This links to the Trailer Analysis earlier in the research phase of
the project as the Neighbours 2009 Promo Trailer stuck out the
most out of all the trailer analysed as the one that we would
mimic in editing style. The text cards in that trailer created a
great build up, much like what we want in our trailer.
Using the text cards with the words “love”, “distain” and
“betrayal” create a build-up of the emotions that change within
the relationship, much like what was done in the Neighbours
trailer. I believe adding this meets what the reviewer was asking
for.

14. When looking at the overall timings, a reviewer said:
“Transitions were too long. It’s hard to keep focused when
there is too big of a gap between each cut”
This was easily fixed, by lessening the transition time from
6 seconds to 2 seconds. Although this doesn’t seem like a
huge difference, it follows the fast pace of the narrative.
The timing of the piece as a total isn’t affected as the text
cards replace the time taken away from the piece. After
making the transition times quicker, the piece’s flow is
better overall to meet the audience’s need.

15. In regards to whether it would attract our target audience, a
reviewer said:
“More people would watch the show if it’s before the watershed.
With the swearing involved in the trailer, this would have to be
put past 9pm, which would limit your audience”
As we were aiming our trailer at young adults, from adolescence
onwards we would need to keep it in a timeslot before the
watershed. The use of expletives was in order to appeal to the
younger audience but in the technicalities of keeping the trailer
appropriate, they would have to be removed.
The acting in the scenes where there was offensive language
was amazing, and as mentioned in the audience feedback,
really added to the attraction of the trailer therefore we didn’t
remove the scenes, but instead silenced the swearing.