Editing - Scene 2

This sequence was my favourite to film and also my favourite to edit due to its fast pace. Before my editing, this is what it looks like. 

I had still left multiple takes for some shots in the timeline because I hadn't decided which would be best to use, but I had left in multiple takes of the shot above for a different reason. My initial idea was to edit the varying canted angle shots in a way that appeared disorientating and delusional, with the slight changes in each take intended to replicate the mental instability that Dylan is undergoing. However, I decided that this form of editing would be more applicable to a psychological thriller, and so concluded that I'd rather keep it simple and stick to my original plan to use the camera shot to represent Dylan's mental state rather than the editing. Therefore the dutch angle of the screenshot above reflects his self-destructive character. 

The shot that shows Dylan pulling the gun out of the pocket was too long. Like in my opening scene, I didn't want the camera to just linger on the firearm because I don't think that this accomplishes anything. It takes the camera away from the characters and onto a prop, so I clipped this shot to just include Dylan removing it from his hoodie pocket and seeing the Father caught in the background of the frame. 

For me, the fast pace was enhanced greatly by these shots. I intercut the two shots that follow Dylan's feet and the Father's feet, contrasting their walking speeds. This effectively  creates the impression that Dylan is catching up and the subsequent tension arises from the imminence of their encounter. 

The arrival of the Son is essentially the turning point in the narrative, because it changes the entire outcome of the plot from a revenge thriller to a redemption drama. In order to reflect this on screen, I thought that the Son's introduction needed to be abrupt and completely disrupt the pace of the narrative, so the audience are like Dylan and in a state of bewilderment. To do this, I cut the shot immediately after the Son shouts 'Dad' off screen and appears from the side of the frame. This is because I wanted to cut to Dylan's reaction, where he instinctively holds back in shock. It was quite difficult to master due to how the reaction time needed to be immediate and believable, so the two shots needed to be cut at exactly the right time. 

I had written into my screenplay that the reason Dylan doesn't pull the trigger is due to the innocence of the Son, and how he'd feel guilty for taking a Father figure away from someone so young. To create this thought process using the editing, I wanted to capture Dylan shakily raise the gun and then cut to the shot which pans from the Father to the Son (shown in the 2nd screenshot) to emphasise how Dylan cannot get the Son out of his mind. 

My inability to choose which shot to use for Dylan's decision to lower his gun was a major problem when I first put my footage together. I thought that each shot provided a good angle and different lighting which had varying effects on the mood. I had even considered using all of the shots at short lengths to cut back and forth to Dylan at different angles, depicting him as exposed and confined. Then I decided against this because this point in my narrative acts as the transitioning period from the fast pace to the slower and cathartic pace, so I wanted this shot to linger and seem reflective. What I ended up doing was using two of the shots, the mid shot/dutch angle in the first screenshot is used before I cut to the Father and Son, and then the zoom in the second screenshot is used afterwards, drawing our attention to Dylan's facial expression. 

I very much think that this will be the best sequence of my narrative, and the one that will need only minor alterations to improve it. One thing I know I am going to have to change is the audio, because the Father and Son repeat the same dialogue in two separate shots, and so I will need to replace this speech, perhaps detaching the audio and substituting it with some natural foley sound effects.