Post Production Divergent

Divergent was possibly the easiest of the three films to edit.  Through missing some critical shots in my film, Coffee, I had learnt the importance of creating comprehensive storyboards.  For Divergent, the storyboards acted as a shot list that had the narrative flow fully established.  This made for an easy edit, as I could simply edit to the storyboard. 

Colour Correction

During filming, I was very disciplined in using the Xrite Colour Passport for every shot.

White Balance

Once I had adjusted the exposure, I would use the colour picker to balance the colour using Final Cut Pro’s balance colour effect. Since I was filming outside in a natural environment, I had very few pure white sources for colour correction. With the shifting light conditions, due to the unpredictable Scottish weather, the Xrite colour passport shots at the start of every sequence were incredible useful in post production.

Hue vs Hue

Once the shot had been white balanced, I could adjust the hue. I would locate the shot of the Xrite colour passport in the browser, disable the underlying layer, place a mask over the primary hues on the colour board. I would then adjust the hues so that they were correct according to the vector scope.

RAW

Exposure

White Balance

Hue vs Hue

REC 709 Conversion

Final Look

Directors Notes

Originally, I wanted this shot to showcase the fork in the road to represent cognitive difference. However, I much prefer this shot because by having both characters on opposite ends of the frame, it clearly defines them as the symbols of cognitive difference within the movie.

In this shot, I wanted the viewer to feel involved in the neurodivergent protagonists sensory experience of this environment. I, therefore, used a tracking shot with leading lines to draw in the viewer’s attention to the textures of the bridge.

In this first shot, the protagonist is placed on the lower half of the frame, making her seem smaller compared to the vast landscape of mountains ahead of her.

In this second shot, the camera is below the protagonist’s eye level, making the protagonist appear higher in the frame and taller. This conveys the protagonist’s confidence and determination to overcome their challenges.

Since neurodiversity is the “scenic route” , in this shot, I contrasted that using leading lines and symmetry to show the efficiency and more ordered way of thinking that neurotypical cognitive processes typically have.

This shot contrasts with the previous shot . Here, the neurodiverse character is walking along a winding gravel path, visually conveying how the neurodiverse path, whilst not the most common path to walk, is unpredictable and interesting to follow, leading you to beautiful discoveries.

By having my actor silhouetted and surrounded by the negative space of the sky, this shot, and the next shot, represent a journey from darkness heading towards the light.

I find these shots incredibly powerful because it’s often the final moments before you reach your goal that require the most resilience, and these two shots for me truly communicate the resilience that comes with having neurodiversity.

I wanted  this summit moment to be the ultimate climax of the film. I wanted to convey the protagonist’s sense of accomplishment and pride. Therefore, I really wanted to utilise the negative space of the sky to highlight the protagonist as the central focus of the shot.

I love this shot because it is the second time we see the house. However, the difference between the shots is the angle of the shot, which is symbolic of how people with neurodiversity can often provide a different and meaningful perspective on the same subject matter.

These  shots contrast the two experiences of the protagonists. Whilst the neurotypical character experienced the views of Scotland  through a book…

…the neurodiverse character experienced the views of Skye in person, capturing memories as she went.  Whilst both experiences work for either person, this shot symbolises how, from my perspective, neurodiversity ultimately provides people with a richer experience of life.