Western Video Edit Breakdown
Within editing, my video began with the rise from black. This is a dissolve transition and opened with my characters walking. I wanted the video to be very continuous. Therefore my cuts are hard and cut with music and action. In order to make the sense of cutting from wide to extreme close less abrupt, I edited very carefully. My video cuts from a wide shot to a close up foot shot and then back to the wide shot. this is then repeated. By doing this the audience are dipping in and out of the action. It then starts a rhythm for the video. The audience get into an "in and out" rhythm. By this point the audience have seen the characters walk to a halt.
When beginning the editing, I muted each segment of music and slowly faded them in. This makes the track start to uncontiously build tension. After the characters halt, the music makes a whistling sound which is where I start to use my cuts. I cut to an over the shoulder shot which makes the audience feel like we are hiding behind this certain character for safety. This small idea of hope gives the audience a reason to stay engaged in the video
After another whistle, we cut to an extreme close up eye shot. the audience are now in the middle of the action and held up close to the characters. The characters have the exact same shots. This makes the audience scared and weary of both characters. The audience have no saviour or protector to hide behind this time which makes them feel weak and they are eager to see the hero be confirmed. This keeps the audience engaged.
I cut to a cowboy, dirty shot of the characters. This shot is conventional of western films as the audience can see the gun and the other person about to be shot. I have two of these shots. They are both shown. Bearing in mind the audience have a small idea of who the hero is, I contradict this idea. A shot is shown of one character. She is slouched and looks like she is bored, she has done this many times. This bored emotion makes her come across as very powerful and confident. The shot then cuts to the shot of our original "hero". Her arms are tight by her side and is taking up very little space in the shot. This emotion makes her come across as very scared and unconfident.
Now the audience don't know who to trust and are left in a high amount of tension. I then cut back to our confident character who starts to lift up her gun. Just as her gun reaches her elbow I cut to our less confident character who has her gun at the same point and rising. By cutting with the action, the characters are seen as moving at the same time and the cutting is continuous.
By now the music is fully intensified and there is a large amount of tension in the standoff. The audience know what is coming next and are on the edge of their seat waiting for it. The audience are expecting a big finale and an after story. However, as said in the plan, I don't give the audience the generic payoff. I give them a comedic ending. The music cuts with a gunshot and out less confident character falls to the floor crying like a baby. We then receive a white text saying "the end'. This payoff is very harsh and attempt to create comedy. The audience are meant to be so invested in the outcome, that the payoff completely throws them off.
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