Final Takes & Trimming to Perfection

Choosing the Best Takes

Having developed my own set of considerations when sifting through takes, I still wanted to broaden the take standards according to what film editors say they follow the structure of. In an article published by Linked In, I focused on the first 3 points the editors on the site listed as helpful.

The image above is the first tip on the website I followed, going into depth with the benefits of rereading the script before editing. By reading the script, I was able to order the takes I narrowed down for possible use in the final cut in the order the storyline would have placed them. This helped to see how different takes would play out in the same scenes.

The second tip I implemented by watching even the blooper takes. Bloopers, although takes where mistakes took place, were still watched over by me in case they could be edited out or used for its bits before the mistake happened. I had split the screen and watched takes side by side alongside my cinematographer to discuss which ones we thought were best. If we did not agree on which one was best, we had an open discussion on the pros and cons of each take until we could come to a middle ground on which one was better suited for a scene. 

The third tip I took into account when choosing final takes, involving acting considerations to ensure that the most natural clips were prioritized over any others. Analyzing the scenes frame by frame this way for the actor expressions and surroundings also made me notice abrupt lighting changes and other issues in takes that would be later tagged as needing film pickups.

Final Take Consideration Examples & Changes

Two final takes, edited with Adobe Premiere's 'neutral' filter to darken the setting and a straight cut between them without audio as of yet. They were decided based on the clarity in which the audience can read or grasp what the object(s) being shown are.

Prior to this cut, the duration in which each scene was shown was long, specifically the trash can scene. It was long so that the words on the paper could be read by the audience, but felt out of place and overdone, considering that Pam is seen 'walking out' from frame. The take extending for too long a period after her exit appeared unnatural, so it was shortened to 5 seconds to match the eulogy speech close up duration. The total of these scenes together is around 10 seconds, but when studying Walter Murch's Rule of Six in pre-production, he described how mournful, contemplative scenes should be held on longer to communicate heavy emotions. The scenes that follow these however, will be cut to one another faster to move the storyline along and contrast with these narrative signifiers and reflect the way Pam, the main character is feeling. Erratic and irritated emotions are best portrayed with fast paced editing that can almost appear as 'glitching' or repetitive. 

Final take of Pam staring at her reflection while putting on Abby's necklace. This take was chosen for this scene for its dutch angle having associations with unsettling feelings and disorientation and actor facial expressions conveying those strong emotions of sadness and possible grief.

All final takes were chosen carefully with these considerations and have begun being edited whether it to be make the take more concise or longer to suit the scene's implications. They were also darkened with the Adobe Premiere Rush neutral filter to wash out Pam's surroundings and complexion, conveying the sense that she is not entirely there but rather a 'shell of herself' from the feelings of grief, showing how editing can further the meaning of a scene simply in its duration length to color grading.