Interview I Edited
It was a fairly easy and simple process editing this interview of Henry. The first step I did was cut out all of the unnecessary small words like “uh” or “um” and all of the blankness between questions, so that way my interview would only have the important stuff included. I found it quite difficult trying to adjust the sound. There was a lot of ambient background noise and after tinkering with it for quite a while, I decided to leave it how it is because I knew that the background music would mask it out a little. After cutting together all of the clips and making the interview more coercive, I moved on to including b-roll. A problem I faced was finding the right videos to use, because the questions I asked him weren’t great and didn’t need much b-roll/the b-roll was hard to find. I was able to pull clips from Youtube, (many drone shots), clips from Vimeo from Cinema camp, and other things I found online. After gathering my b-roll I then worked on making sure it played at the right time to make the lessen the amout of choppiness it had. I worked on playing these b-roll clips over the transition from one clip to another, to create more flow. I also cropped some of the b-roll clips to make them look more visually appealing.
Interview I Filmed (DP)
Filming and directing my interview was fairly simple because I was the last one to go so the lighting, camera angle, and shot was set up perfectly. I adjusting the angle just a little bit, because Chapin’s head was cut out of the frame, and then pressed record. It was fun being behind the camera because I felt very professional and in charge. Usually I am in front of the camera or working the lighting and other technical aspects but I never end up filming the scene. It was a very fun experience overall and directing (being the director of photography) is defenitly an aspect I want to pursue. A challenge we faced as a group as getting the lighting to hit the persons face perfectly. We had to play with the shadows and what angle we wanted to light to hit his/her face. We also made sure that the shot was a close-up, and clearly focused, before pressing record. It was difficult for me to keep quiet behind the camera but I tried my best to stay silent.
My interview
Being interviewed was a very weird and slightly awkward process. I felt like my answers had to be perfect but I ended up just laughing and getting super red instead of responding which didn’t make for great content at all. It was hard coming up with good answers to questions on the spot, considering it was improvisational and I didn’t know what the questions were before hand. I managed to come up with sub-par answers, and elaborate with what I was saying. I also forgot several times to repeat the question, which was important in order for te audience to know what I am talking about. I think being interviewed compared to acting in a scene is much different because it is a more raw and real process. You are opening up as yourself on camera instead of trying to play a part and transforming into a different character. Overall, It was a fun experience being in front of the camera, and I know the more I do it, the less scary it will be. Unfortunately I lost the footage for my interview. This was probably for the best.
Interview I Edited #2
Editing this interview was a lot better than the first time around. We used a Canon 70D which was a different camera than what we used the first time which made the shot way better. We also filmed b-roll so I incorporated only a few of those shots over the a-roll. It was a fun process. It was hard for me to find HD videos as b-roll so they ended up being slightly glitchy, but after I played with it for a while it turned out fine. I also decided to use photos and not just videos, because I found that the quality of real photos look better than photos that I've taken from online. It came together well, in the end, and I had much more to piece together, thus, making it a better film.
Interview I Filmed (DP) #2
It was a easy and fun process setting up the interview that I directed. As a group we began with setting up the lights, which we only ended up using one. I then knew that because Sophie was sitting, the tripod was up too high so I lowered it and made sure her head was in the frame. I focused her face and made sure she was centered but also wanted her to be to the left of the shot because I liked the look of there being some space on the right, which was the direction she was facing. I tried to remove any space that was above her head. I then finished my set-up process by making sure she was focused before pressing record. We only ended up using one light for Sophies interview, but on the others we used a second, which I think was a smarter idea. While she was being interviewed I made sure to not move around a lot, because I knew the camera would most likely pick up that sound. Overall, a great process!
My interview #2
Being interviewed a second time was definitely a much easier process. My group and I prepared some questions before hand because last time we were struggling to come up questions on the spot. I felt a lot more comfortable in front of the camera, and was able to sit back and comfortably answer the questions. Much like the last time, it was hard to go into depth on a lot of the questions but I think I tried my best to elaborate on my responses this time around. It was also fun getting to be on camera in general. I really enjoy being on camera and in front of the lights, as intimidating as it can be. The nerves usually go away after practice, so the more I do interviews, I think the easier it will get. I also didn't delete +my footage this time so my interview was able to be edited.
Documentary Review
Amanda Knox - Directed by Brian McGinn and Rob Blackhurst
Film Review: Amanda Knox
Amanda Knox, a chilling and honest documentary tells the brutal story of the trial and conviction of Amanda Knox for the murder of her college roommate, Meredith Kercher, who was killed in Perugia, Italy. Amanda was accused and charged for her murder and spent four years in an Italian prison before being acquitted. The film explores the details of the case, featuring interviews from the lead prosecutor, Giuliano Mignini, who lead a flawed investigation, Amanda's ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, who was also pinned as a prime suspect in the murder, and journalist, Nick Pisa, who discusses the way the press sculpted Amanda's narrative. The crime movie showcases the eight-year-long process in which the negligent Italian justice system was inconclusive and dives deeper into the controversy surrounding the case.
The movie captivated me in a multitude of ways and left me on the edge of my seat throughout. All of the film’s a-roll and b-roll was brilliantly captured. The story was told through the lens of so many vital people, all holding different perspectives on the case and what happened. These interviews were the a-roll of the film. The movie began with Amanda sitting down and talking, as lighthearted b-roll of old home videos from her teenage and young adult years played. As her life in Italy began to unfold, and we start to learn about this case, the perspectives from the different people begin to replace Amanda's a-roll which felt very abstract but accurate. We see what it’s like to be an investigator and inspect the bloody crime scene, how the prosecutor determined the cases leads and his theories and the family of both the victim and the suspects. This change in frame of mind showed how Amanda's voice was being taken over and wasn’t as important, for she was the number one suspect in the murder and didn’t have much say anymore. I really liked the films wide-angle shots of Italian countryside paired with classical music. It fit well with the context of the film, considering a large portion of it had subtitles and gave it a foreign feel. It created a sense of timelessness. The lighting of the interviews was very well lit, and the rule of thirds was executed nicely. I noticed the light got dimmer when the mood of the scene was changing. The film was filled with real audio conversations, a lot of footage from the crime scene, pictures and zoom in shots of disturbing evidence, article’s about her, and many more spot-on components that made the movie feel even more real. All of these images and videos were incorporated using the Ken Burns effect. The film also aroused many questions that I had with the way the case was handled and the way the media managed to convict Amanda more than the actual court itself. “I think I'm trying to explain what it feels like to be wrongfully convicted," Amanda Knox says "To either be this terrible monster or to be this regular person who is vulnerable." Considering it was a news story and was recalling a past event, I don’t have many critiques on the acting or other many technical aspects, for a large portion of it was old footage/audio.
I would recommend this documentary to anyone who is fascinated by crime-related stories/films. It entertained me with its structure and inclusiveness and it felt like I was slowly uncovering the layers to this involuted horror story that felt almost impossible to believe. The case contained an abundance of information but was perfectly dispersed throughout the movie and it didn’t feel like I was being struck with too much to process. The film doesn’t attempt to persuade the viewers, it instead offers different perspectives, and allows you to question the morality of the police, the media, and the people we think we know.