Re-Editing

For my re-editing, I integrated the re-filmed clips and the doorbell sound effect into my film. I also decided to change the music. However, I did not want to find another piece of music as I think the one I already had works well, and I think that two different pieces of music could possibly clash. Therefore, I experimented a bit with the music until eventually I slowed the music down by 50% for the first part. The music is now slower and sounds less dramatic whilst still keeping the mysterious tension that the original music had. I added in an audio transition which I think makes the transition to the original, fast-paced music at the end of the clip quite smooth and not too noticeable. I have also added a small fade-out at the very end of the clip. I think that this is better than just ending abruptly as it is more smooth and professional.

1 - I slowed down the speed of music by 50%. This makes it sound more moody and suspenseful and stops it sounding too fast-paced when it does not need to be.

2 - This is a small transition to switch between the two audio clips smoothly.

3 - This is the doorbell sound effect. As there are multiple audio tracks, it allows me to have both the sound effect and the music playing at the same time.

Re-Filming

To improve my project, certain scenes had to be re-filmed. These included:

• The doorbell scene - using a tripod so that the camera stayed steady


• The kitchen scene - shooting it from different angles so that there was greater shot variety


• The landing scene - clearing boxes out of the way so that the framing of the shot looked better

Unfortunately, Chris brought slightly different pyjamas so I also had to shoot the first scene and teeth-brushing scene again. This was not really a problem, as it allowed me to improve the lighting for these scenes.

Re-Editing - Doorbell Sound Effect

One criticism of my draft edit was that the doorbell was not audible, so I decided to find a doorbell sound effect to use instead. I found a suitable doorbell sound on freesfx.co.uk. After sourcing the sound effect, it was easy enough to place it into my film. With the addition of the sound effect, the film is now more realistic.

The exact page that I found the doorbell sound effect on can be found here - the fourth one down of the free sound effects.

Feedback on Draft Edit

I have received some feedback on my draft edit which was useful and will help me to improve it. Feedback included: The music is too dramatic for the first part of the film Some shots, particularly during the kitchen scene, go on for too long The indoor footage is slightly dark The title sounds too horror-like The doorbell sound needs to be more clearly audible Chris/John's costume is too incongruous Improvements I plan to make: Re-shoot hallway scene and clear clutter so the mise-en-scene looks tidier Re-shoot kitchen scene from different angles so I can cut between shots Increase the sound of the doorbell or use a sound effect Change the music somehow I am not going to change the title or Chris/John's costume as I do not think that the title sounds like a horror and the costume is meant to be incongruous so that the audience does not immediately think that John is a murderer.

Draft Edit

Editing

During editing, I decided to make some changes to my initial plans and storyboard. A major change was the title as I decided to change it from Friendly Neighbourhood Murderer to Suburban Nightmare. I felt that this adds more mystery to the film and doesn't immediately show John to be the murderer. I also decided to get rid of the wardrobe shot, as this looked extremely amateur. I have also altered the ending significantly, as mentioned previously.

Acquiring Music

Searching for music initially proved to be a problem as it was hard finding royalty-free music that had an appropriate tone of suspense. After a few hours of searching, I found an ideal piece that was suitable for my film. I was also successful in tweaking it so that it timed perfectly with my film. I am really pleased with the music I have found and I believe it definitely gives it a 'thriller' feel.

The piece of music I found is called 'Nerves' and can be found here.

Filming

Filming took place on 23rd February. As it was initially raining, I decided to shoot the interior shots first in the hope that it would stop raining later. Fortunately, the rain did stop and I was able to get the exterior shots done as well. I experienced very few problems throughout the filming. However, I did make some changes from the original storyboard, which were largely to do with the positioning of the camera. A major change that I made was to change the ending so that the murder was more implied than actually being shown. I did this by having John/Chris pull out the knife as before, but omitting the actual stabbing as I was afraid that this would look amateur and could also cause injuries. Instead, I filmed an exterior shot of John/Chris closing the door. I think that this is a more effective ending as it leaves what happens next to the reader's imagination and keeps the mysterious tone of the thriller. There were no incidents and I passed the camera and tripod on without any damages. The knife was handled carefully and on-one was injured. I believe I have enough footage to be able to edit well as I have over 2 minutes of raw footage and I have shot some scenes from multiple angles so I can cut between them.