My Role Within The Production

I have taken on all of the post prodution roles. This will include editing the footage, adding any desired effects and filters to the to the film, and creating and adding the soundtrack.

What is the role of the editor?
Film editing is part of the creative post production process of filmmaking. It involves slecting shots and combining them into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. Editing is the art to story making, it is the ony art that is unique to cinema, althought there are close similarities to the editing process in other art forms such as; poetry or novel writing. Film editing is often referred to as the ''invisibe art'' because although it is well practiced, the viewer can become so engaged that he or she is not even aware of the editor's work.
The job of an editor isn't simply to mechanically put piees of a film together. A film editor must creatively work with the layers of images, story, dialogue, music, pacing, as well as the actors performances to effectively ''re-imagine' and even rewrite the film to craft a cihesive whole. Editors usually play a damatic role in the making of a film.

Ideas for filming

As The Story of an Hour is set over the course of an hour we needed to think of ways to capture the story in just 5 minutes. We had to carefully shorten the text to fit our time limit. Once we had a suitable script we thought up ways we could capture the images.
One of our ideas was to place a clock in the corner of the screen that ticked for an hour, this would show the audience how much time has passed. Another idea was to use slow motion and speed things up, emphasising the important parts and fast forwarding through the parts that weren't important. Our last idea was to shoot as if watching through a security camera. They have built in timers and would effectively show the viewer what is happening at the same time as showing the time scale.
It is also important for us to make sure the audience feel for the character at an early stage, and become attached to her as she shows some strong emotions, and we only have a short amount of time to display them.

Stoyboard

Synopsis

'Story of an Hour' shows the rollercoaster of emotions that Sarah Mallard goes through at the discovery of her husbands death.  A modern, film adaptation of Kate Chopin's 18th Century short story. 

A woman in a modern world, yet still in the chains of pre-suffragette Britain.  She struggles to come to terms with her loss, yet realises the freedom that this will bring her.  But will she suffer from the joys that kill?

Final Script

Story of an Hour

Scene 1

We see a man, Richards walking down a street. He stops at the house he is looking for, looks up at the window and then walks to the door. He rings the door bell and waits. He backs away from the door and looks around the surrounding environment. Cut to a figure making her way down the last few steps of the staircase. She walks towards the door. She stops. On the table next to the front door there is a picture frame turned down. She picks it up and puts it upright on the table. It is a picture of Sarah and her husband Brett on their honeymoon. Brett is smiling and enjoying his holiday, Sarah's smile is forced. She reaches for the door handle. She faces the figure before her. He's dressed in a black suit, and is holding a briefcase in one hand and a newspaper in the other. Sarah is confused by his visit.

Sarah: Richards?

Richards turns round to see Sarah Mallard at the door. His face is grave. He struggles to greet her with a warm smile. Instead it looks forced and fake.

Richards: Can I come in?

Sarah doesn't answer. She stands back away from the door, letting Richardswalk through. She closes the door, and follows him through to the kitchen. She puts the kettle on and then sits opposite him.

Richards is fiddling with the lock on his briefcase, picking at the lock. Sarah is holding her shaky hands in her lap, turning her wedding ring around her finger. Richards looks up at Sarah every few seconds, hoping that she will start the conversation. He sighs, takes a deep breath, and pulls his hands away from his briefcase, shifting his body so that his whole attention is on Sarah. He leans forward to address her.

Richards: How are you?

Sarah notices that he has started a conversation, and pulls her gaze away from her wedding ring. She looks up at Richards, yet finds it hard to hold his gaze.

Sarah: Okay.

She pulls away from his worried, searching gaze and looks back at her wedding ring. Richards sighs as she does, concerned about her well-being.

Richards: Good. (He nods once and turns back to his briefcase, and continues to pick at the lock.)

There is a silent pause. Richards looks around the room awkwardly. All the audience hears is Sarah tapping her finger nails on the table, Richards picking at his lock and the kettle boiling. The three sounds climax until the kettle boils. Sarah goes to make the tea. Richards, now that he doesn't have to deliver the news to her face, builds the confidence to break the news.

Richards: I'm sorry. I went to wait for Brett's train. I waited for an hour. Sarah... Sarah, the train never arrived. Brett never arrived.

Richards waits for a reaction. Sarah doesn't react, and continues to make the tea. Her actions are shaky and quick paced. Once she has got everything ready (milk, sugar), she orders them on the counter.

Apparently some kids were playing a game, Some sick game. They put a log on the tracks. The train collided and... I'm sorry.

Long pause. Sarah's movements have become more shaky and quick. Whilst pouring the water she overflows the pot, and spills the water on her hand. Sarah curses under her breath. Richards gets up quickly to help her.

Richards: Let me help you.

Sarah pulls away from Richards help, backing away from him.

Sarah: No. I'm fine.

Sarah makes her way from the hall way, and up the stairs.

Scene 2

Sarah makes her way up the stairs. She walks into her room, and slowly shuts the door. There is a large armchair placed in front of the window. She stands in front of it and then sinks slowly into it. She sits, staring outside the window. A tear slowly rolls down her face. She quickly wipes it away. Her expression shows her exhaustion, her stress. She has aged and looks years older than her actual age. She sits motionless. We see two birds flying past her window. They sit on the nearest tree by the window. Sarah looks at them in envy, jealousy. After some time she throws her head back, resting on the top of the chair.

She lifts her head again, slowly. A sudden realisation comes across her face. Looking out the window at the birds again. She slowly rises, and walks over to look out the window, and rests her head against the glass. She continues to watch the birds. She smiles, a gleam of life coming back to her eyes.

Sarah: Free. Mind, body and soul. Free.

A knock from her bedroom door. We hear Richards, call from the other side of the door.

Richard: Sarah? Sarah, open the door! Please, open the door – you're going to make yourself ill. What are you doing? Sarah? (To himself) For fuck sake. Open the door!

Sarah: I'm not making myself ill.

Richards keeps on shouting through the door. Sarah stays at the window. Smiles. A tear comes to her eye. She looks excited. “Drinking in a very elixir of life through that open window. She turns away from the window, and opens the door to find Richards on his knees. She grabs Richards' arm and starts to drag her down the stairs. 

Sarah: Pub?

Sarah has reached the bottom of the stairs. She goes into the kitchen, grabs her coat from the back of the stairs, and goes to the table at the side of the front door. She grabs her keys.

Richards: What? Sarah...

Sarah: Come on.

Richards: Sarah, wait....

At that moment Richards is interrupted by the sound of a key entering a lock. All freeze. They turn to face the front door. Sarah backs away towards the staircase to support herself. She looks scared, shocked. Fear overwhelms her.

We see a figure step through the door, we do not see his face yet. Richards looks happy, overjoyed.

Sarah: (screams) No!

We now see Brett walk through the doorway, shocked, confused at the outburst.