90 Second Trailer

In our class a couple of weeks ago we were split into groups and asked to compile a 90 second trailer featuring clips from films and television programmes that graduates from Sheffield Hallam University had gone on to be involved in.  The trailer had to include a soundtrack by a Sheffield band.

Working in groups we had to organise ourselves and split into researchers and editors.  We had the three hours of the session to complete the task.

After a good start where we organised the split, we all worked hard at trying to get the clips downloaded and logged and passed onto the editors.  Unfortunately we didn't manage to finish our trailer but did make a good start. I was particularly impressed with my cutting together of clips featuring punches!

I was intrigued to know if it could be done and had hoped that we might get chance to finish it at some point.

Last night I was bored at home and decided to start the project on my own and see if I could create a 90 second trailer using clips from the list.  I used a music track by Lucy Spraggan, downloaded clips, cropped what I thought would be good scenes to use and which related to words in the song, then went through the process of assembly and rough cut.  I made notes about the content of the clips that I had chosen and how they could link together, for example the way that two characters from different films look back over their shoulders and how other characters from different films look quizzically to one side, I then linked them together in the trailer.

I started at 22:09 and by ten to one I realised that I wouldn't get the trailer completely finished as a final cut but had one minute and twenty seven seconds worth of footage in a very good rough cut, in the correct order and lined up with the lyrics that I had considered.

This is my film after I stopped at 01:09, exactly three hours after starting.  I imagined that if it was a commissioned piece, this is what I would be presenting to the client.  And to be fair, I really like it.  It could do with some final tweaking but it stands up pretty well.