Film Production: The Maui Edit
an exercise in filming, scene selection, colour correcting and sound designing with the most VERSATILE camera from GoPro
Role: Film, colour correct, sound design
Responsibilities: Drive. Live life. Post Produce. Learn.
Platforms: Instagram, Instagram Stories, Instagram TV, Youtube, Facebook
Software: Adobe After Effects, Media Encoder
Experiencing Maui
If it wasn't for a close friend who planted the seed in June 2017 to explore Maui in December 2017, I doubt I would have ever gone. In short, it was the best vacation of my life. From driving from Lahaina to Hana, to discovering 300ft waterfalls, the hikes up Waihee Ridge Trail and driving views along the east coast were spectacular. As much as I enjoy living in the moment, capturing the experience was important for me. Using a combination of the GoPro Session, my Samsung S8, and Nikon DSLR, the footage collected set the stage for numerous creative post-production exercises.
The Most Versatile Camera from GoPro
With a plethora of action cameras on the market, the GoPro Hero Session was my chosen tool. I wanted to shoot with the highest resolution possible yet have the smallest form factor without breaking the bank. From facing the winds of the east and dusty jungle roads, to the thunderous waves from the Pacific Ocean, GoPro forged a very dependable camera. I shot all my footage in 1440p at 30 frames per second with an ultra wide field of view. I harnessed he GoPro mobile app for further control.
Selecting Shots: The Creative Narrative
It was clear after reviewing the footage that the journey to destinations was vital to showcase. Everyday, without fail, my friends and I left at 7am and drove to a new hiking destination. From driving along coastlines to timidly crossing tiny mountain bridges, we experienced the most surreal views. From there, we drove further to bask on spectacular beaches. Piecing together an edit that narrated our daily journey felt most fulfilling.
Creative Liberty
Colour correcting the footage with my personal taste brought forth a different creative lens. The driving scenes were much easier to colour correct and maintain consistency as opposed to when faced with ocean shots. Contrast and brightness was controlled to add to more black or white to a scene. The goal was to add more depth without losing detail.
Colour Correction Goals
1. Use a LUT (LookUp Table) as an initial bounce point.
2. Tailor the LUT to suit the creative direction.
3. Review where points can use more contrast and or more brightness without losing detail or over 'punching' the composition.
4. Adjust contrast and brightness to provide consistency and flow between varying shots filmed at different times of day.
Sound Design: Pacing and Separating Chapters
Selecting music where each succeeding shot can appear into frame due to the prominent change in note sets a distinct pace. A soundtrack the expresses 'long and effortless driving' with an emphasis on 'being at peace' was difficult to source. Browsing through a plethora of royalty free music helped in my quest to pin a track that reflected my mentality while exploring Maui. The soundtrack also helps transport audiences into a state of mind while viewing the creative piece. Two different tracks were used to shift the focus from pleasant driving to ocean exploration.
Final Notes and Learning Outcomes
There arguably will be numerous methods to edit the raw footage. In hindsight, the contrast can be reduced. The final output does come across 'punchy' with the blues. I did like the introduction of the small pregnant pause between chapter one and two to shift the focus for audiences.
Colour correcting in Adobe After Effects is much more simple. However, the difficulty arises when trying to intricately match and reduce colour variances from scene to scene. Premiere Pro or DaVinci will serve as a better software tool for colour correction. In addition, work needs to be done on stabilising the driving footage in post production.