PRACTICAL SKILLS

Version 1, TV Room Idea

In my first version, I pictured the documentary starting with someone walking into a room, sitting down, and turning on the TV. The Archive would already be playing on the screen. The camera would then slowly zoom in on the TV until the archive took up the whole frame.

This version was more literal because it showed someone physically discovering the archive.

Version 2, Improved TV Concept

For the second version, I kept the same idea of someone turning on the TV, but I made it feel more but aimed to make it more cinematic and less like an ordinary living room scene. Rather than just showing the archive, I wanted the TV to act as a portal to the past. I also changed the wording to make it sound more dramatic and similar to a documentary.

Version 3 , Final Version: Netflix Startup / Glitch / Archive

For my final version, I changed the opening so it matched the actual edit I created. Instead of a person physically turning on a tv, I used a netflix startup screen. The opening begins like someone is opening up netflix, but then it glitches and turns into The Archive. This made the opening feel more modern.

This version is the strongest because it feels more professional and better fits the style of my final film

Why the Final Version Improved

My final version worked better because it felt more connected to my actual edit. The first idea with the person turning on the tv helped me plan the idea of entering an archive, but the Netflix startup made the opening feel more modern and engaging, and also looked smoother. When i attempted to use green screen it looked patchy and nothing like what i expected. The glitch transition also helped link the streaming screen to the archive footage in a more creative way.

By creating three versions, I was able to show how my idea developed from a simple TV scene into a more stylised and professional opening sequence.

I changed the timeline from the production plan I made in my proposal. The new timeline helped me organise the main stages, starting with research and collecting archive footage, then moving on to editing and exporting the final project. Since my project uses a found-footage documentary style, I spent most of my time finding clips, sorting my archive, planning the edit, building the story, and working on the sound design.

Reflection on the Schedule

The schedule helped me stay organised because my project had a lot of different parts, including archive footage, music, sound effects, editing tests and visual effects. My original proposal gave me a clear plan, but I adapted it as the project developed. For example, my opening idea changed from someone turning on a TV to a more stylised Netflix startup/glitch opening, so I adjusted my editing sessions to focus more on that sequence.

This shows that I followed my production plan but also responded creatively when the project developed in a better direction.

Since my FMP uses found footage and an archive editing style, I made a cue sheet or running order instead of a regular shot list. This helped me decide what footage, text, music, and sound effects to include in each part of the edit.

Music Used

Sound Effects Used

Why I Structured It This Way

I set up the cue sheet so the documentary opens with a modern, familiar intro, then gradually shifts into an archive of the BJJ story. The first part introduces Rio and how BJJ began, the middle highlights the Gracie legacy and what Jiu Jitsu means, and the last part links the history to current training footage.

The audio just as important as video because I wanted the film to feel like an archive being discovered, not just a normal sports montage. The glitch sounds, VHS static and funk music helped create a mix of old history and modern Brazilian energy.

I began by picking a strong BJJ action photo to make sure the banner immediately showed the sport’s intensity and documentary feel. I used tools like Select Subject and Remove Background to cut out the main grappling image, which let me place the fighters into a more cinematic composition.

Next, I added a dark background and used fading and gradient effects on the left to leave room for the title and information, similar to Netflix banners. On the right, I included smaller supporting images, like close-up details and competition shots, to give the banner a documentary archive feel.

Finally, I added Netflix elements like the title, description, buttons, date, genre, and navigation bar to make the design look like a real streaming platform banner. This project helped me practice layering, cutting out images, color matching, and layout design.

This is was the process:

I mostly used found footage to create a historical archive section that shows Rio de Janeiro, the Gracie family, early Jiu-Jitsu culture, and how it grew into modern BJJ.

Found Footage / Archive Source Log Table

I didn’t pick clips just because they seemed old or caught my eye. Each one was chosen to help tell the story of BJJ, starting with the streets and culture of Rio de Janeiro, moving to the Gracie family, and then linking that history to today’s training at different academies. The archive footage helped set the time, place, and legacy, while my own recordings showed how BJJ is practiced now in a real academy.

I made editing choices to help the found footage feel consistent. Since the clips came from different places, they varied in quality, color, frame rate, and style. To bring them together as one film, I used color correction, cropping, film grain, VHS-style textures, static effects, sound design, and pacing changes. This made the archive section feel purposeful instead of just a mix of random clips.

Some of the footage was my own, like the KSC Academy seminar and modern BJJ clips. Other parts were found footage used for the assessment. Making this log showed I understand the difference between original content, licensed media, copyrighted material, and visual references.

-Raw Import Stage

This screenshot shows the beginning of my editing process, where I had imported my footage and assets into Adobe Premiere Pro. AThe main purpose was to organise all my material before building the actual film.

For my project, I worked with a mix of media, like archive footage, old Rio clips, BJJ footage, seminar videos from different academies, sound effects, music, text and title graphics, and visual overlays such as grain or glitch effects. This step mattered because my documentary is made from found footage, so I had to keep track of many sources and stay organized.

What I did at this stage

At the raw import stage, I focused on:

Since my project uses archive footage, I needed to consider how each source would fit into the documentary. Some clips worked well to show Rio de Janeiro as the starting point, while others were better for showing the growth of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or the current academy setting.

This step helped me make practical choices before editing. I began sorting the clips by their purpose instead of just by file name. For example, some footage set the atmosphere, some showed history, and some added action and energy. This approach made my editing more focused and helped me avoid making a random-feeling montage.

-Basic Timeline

This screenshot shows the first version of my timeline, where I began putting clips into a rough sequence. At this point, the film had a basic structure, but it still needed a lot of work. I arranged the clips in the order I wanted the audience to follow the story, but the pacing, transitions, sound, and effects were not finished yet.

At this stage, I focused on building the basic narrative order:

This stage mattered because it let me check if the documentary flowed well as a sequence. I focused not just on which clips looked good, but also on how the audience would follow the story. My plan was to start with a strong archive-style opening, move into Rio and the roots of BJJ, and then shift into modern training.

The rough timeline showed me where the story had gaps. For example, I saw that moving too quickly from old footage to modern BJJ felt too abrupt. The audience needed time to understand the history first. That’s why I used archive footage, text screens, and careful pacing to build the idea of legacy before showing the present-day academy.

-Rough Cut Stage

This screenshot shows the rough cut stage of my documentary. At this point, the film had a much clearer structure. The main clips were in the correct order, the archive section was more developed, and I had started adding music, text, sound effects, and basic transitions.

The rough cut was not the final version, but it was the first version where the documentary started to feel like a complete film rather than just a collection of clips.

What I improved in the rough cut

At this stage, I began improving the film in several ways for example,

• Structure

I made the sequence clearer by organising it into sections. Instead of just placing archive clips randomly, I built a journey for the viewer

Netflix-style intro – archive opening – Rio streets – Gracie/BJJ history – meaning of JiuJitsu – transition – modern BJJ

This made the documentary easier to follow and gave it a stronger sense of progression.

• Pacing

I started cutting the clips more carefully so the edit did not feel too slow. Some archive clips looked good but stayed on screen for too long, so I shortened them. I also made sure the modern BJJ section had more energy compared to the archive section.

• Text and meaning

I added text screens to help explain the story without relying too much on voiceover. The text helped the audience understand what they were watching and gave the archive section a more dramatic tone.

Example style:

“RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
WHERE THE STORY BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE.”

The text was important because it gave meaning to the footage and helped connect the visuals to the documentary topic.

• Sound and atmosphere

I began adding sound effects to make the edit feel more immersive. For instance, I used static and glitch sounds in the archive section to give it the feel of old footage. I also tried out stronger impact sounds for the transition into modern BJJ.

The rough cut stage made the biggest difference in the storytelling. At first, the timeline was just a group of clips, but by the rough cut, I was shaping the film into a clear documentary. I thought about how I wanted the audience to feel at each moment. The archive section was slower and more atmospheric, while the modern BJJ part needed to feel stronger and more energetic.

During the rough cut, I noticed that the switch from old footage to modern BJJ felt too sudden. To fix this, I tried out different sound effects, visual effects, and pacing to make the transition more dramatic and meaningful. My goal was for the audience to feel like they were moving from the past into the present, not just jumping between random clips.

-Effects and Sound Design Stage

This screenshot shows the stage where I started refining the edit technically. At this point, I had already built the main sequence, so I focused on making the film feel more professional through sound design, visual effects, overlays, colour correction, and smoother transitions.

What I did technically

At this stage, I focused on practical editing techniques such as:

At this point, I stopped just arranging footage and started shaping the mood of the documentary. Since my project used clips from many sources, they didn’t match well. Some looked old, others looked modern, and the colours and quality varied a lot. To fix this, I added effects like grain, colour correction, and overlays so the archive section would feel more consistent.

Sound design became important here too. I wanted the shift to modern BJJ to feel smooth, not random, so I used sound to guide viewers. Static and glitch sounds made it seem like the archive footage was breaking or changing, and a bass hit or mat slap marked a clear moment before the modern footage started. This made the edit feel more dramatic and purposeful.

–Final Edit Stage

This screenshot shows my final edit timeline. By this point, the documentary sequence was finished. I had arranged the clips in their final order, adjusted the pacing, balanced the sound effects and music, and added visual effects to give it a consistent archive-style look.

The final timeline is more developed, with several layers of video and audio. This shows that the film was made with more than just basic cuts. I used layered footage, title cards, music, sound effects, transitions, overlays, and colour adjustments.

What I improved in the final edit

• Stronger opening

The beginning became more cinematic and eye-catching. The Netflix/archive-style intro helped make the film feel like the audience was entering an archive or opening a documentary.

• Clearer archive section

The Rio and Gracie sections became more connected. Instead of just showing old footage, I used title cards and pacing to explain why the footage mattered.

• Better transition into modern BJJ

The transition from archive footage into modern BJJ was improved so it felt more dramatic. I used sound effects, timing, and visual changes to make the cut feel like a shift from history into the present.

• More professional sound design

I balanced the music and sound effects so they worked together. I made sure the impact sounds were strong but not too messy or overpowering.

• Consistent visual style

I used grain, colour changes, and overlays to make the archive footage feel connected, even though the clips came from different sources.

• Cleaner final pacing

I removed anything that slowed the film down or felt unnecessary. The final edit became more focused and had a clearer rhythm.

Change Between Each Stage

Final Reflection Paragraph

Documenting my Premiere Pro timeline at different stages helped me show how my editing skills developed over time. It makes it clear that I didn’t make the final film all at once. Instead, I improved it by testing, reviewing, cutting, refining, and polishing. Each stage had its own goal: organising clips in the raw import stage, building structure and story in the rough cut, and focusing on pacing, atmosphere, sound design, and a professional finish in the final edit.

Going through this process made me realise that editing is more than just joining clips. It’s about making choices that shape how the audience feels and understands the story. In my film, I used editing to guide viewers from the past to the present, moving from archive footage of Rio and early BJJ to modern training at KSC Academy. By including timeline screenshots and explaining what changed at each stage, I can clearly show how my technical skills and creative decisions improved throughout the editing process.

-Lightroom Colour Panel

This screenshot shows the main colour grading adjustments I made in Lightroom. Lightroom was the main software I used for colour grading because it gave me more control over the look of the image, especially when adjusting contrast, shadows, highlights, colour temperature, saturation, and tone.

Most of my footage came from different sources, so the colours did not naturally match. Some clips looked warmer, some looked cooler, some archive clips looked faded, and some modern BJJ clips looked too clean compared to the old footage. I used Lightroom to create a more consistent visual style across the documentary.

Settings I adjusted in Lightroom

I used Lightroom as my main colour grading tool because my footage came from a mixture of sources and did not naturally match. Some of the archive footage had a faded, low-quality look, while the modern BJJ footage looked sharper and cleaner. Without colour grading, the film would have felt visually disconnected, almost like separate clips placed next to each other rather than one complete documentary.

My aim was not to make every clip look identical, because the archive footage and modern footage needed to feel different. Instead, I wanted them to feel like they belonged to the same visual world. I used contrast, shadows, highlights, and saturation to make the footage feel more cinematic and controlled. I also made small temperature and tint adjustments to correct colour differences caused by different cameras, lighting, and sources.

For the archive section, I leaned into a slightly faded, textured, and older look. For the modern BJJ section, I kept the footage cleaner and sharper, but still adjusted the colour so it did not feel too bright or random compared to the archive footage. This helped create a clear visual journey from the past into the present.

This screenshot shows the difference between the original image and the colour graded version. The before version looked more flat and inconsistent, while the after version had stronger contrast, better colour balance, and a more polished documentary style.

What changed after colour grading

The before and after comparison shows how colour grading improved the visual quality of my project. The original footage did not always match because it came from different sources and was recorded in different conditions. By adjusting exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, temperature, and saturation, I was able to create a more controlled look. This made the film feel more professional and helped the archive footage, modern footage, and original BJJ footage sit together more naturally in the same edit.

This was especially important in my project because the film moves between different visual styles:

The main reason I colour graded my footage was to join clips from different sources. My documentary includes archive footage, found footage, original BJJ footage, seminar footage, title cards, overlays, and modern training clips. Because these clips came from different places, they had different colours, lighting, quality, and sharpness. Without colour grading, the film would have looked inconsistent and less professional.

I used Lightroom for most of the colour grading because it gave me the most control over the image. I adjusted exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, blacks, saturation, temperature, tint, and colour grading wheels to create a more consistent visual style.

My colour grade was designed to support the story. The archive footage needed to feel older, warmer, slightly faded, and textured, while the modern BJJ footage needed to feel cleaner, sharper, and more intense. This helped show the difference between the past and the present while still making the film feel visually connected.

Final Reflection Paragraph

Overall, the colour grading process helped improve the quality and consistency of my documentary. Because I used footage from different sources, the clips originally looked visually different from each other. Some were brighter, some were darker, some were more saturated, and some had a completely different colour temperature.

The aim of my audio mix was to make sure the music created atmosphere without overpowering the film, while the sound effects were clear enough to emphasise important moments such as glitches, transitions, impacts, and the move from archive footage into modern BJJ.

This screenshot shows the audio tracks in my Premiere Pro timeline. I separated the audio into different layers, including music, sound effects, and original footage audio. This helped me control each part of the sound separately and made it easier to balance the mix during the edit.

I used the audio meters to check that the sound was not too loud or clipping. I tried to keep the levels controlled so the music and sound effects sounded strong without becoming distorted or uncomfortable to listen to

I also adjusted the volume of the audio clips. I used volume changes to make the music fade in and out smoothly and to make sure sound effects did not overpower the rest of the edit. These adjustments helped the sound feel more controlled and professional

The audio mix was important because my documentary relies on mood and atmosphere. Since the film uses archive footage, old Rio visuals, BJJ clips, title cards, and modern training footage, the sound needed to help connect all these parts together. Without audio balancing, the film could have felt messy, with music, effects, and original clip audio competing against each other.

I used the music as the base of the sound design because it controlled the rhythm of the edit. I then layered sound effects on top to emphasise specific visual moments, such as glitches, cuts, and transitions. This made the film feel more cinematic because the sound was connected to what was happening on screen.

The most important audio decision was making sure the transition from archive footage into modern BJJ had impact. I balanced the sound so the archive section felt atmospheric and slightly old, then used stronger sound effects to make the shift into the present feel powerful. This helped the audience understand that the film was moving from history into modern day BJJ.

Overall, the audio mix helped improve the quality of my documentary because it made the edit feel more controlled and intentional. I balanced the music, sound effects, and original footage audio so that each part had a clear purpose. The music created atmosphere, the sound effects added impact, and the original audio helped keep parts of the film feeling real.