Simple Swap

 Using the footage filmed so far, Ariel and I have begun to edit, mainly focusing on adding affects. Although Ariel is doing the most editing between us, I still assist in choosing what clips to use, make sure we have a good variety of shots, recommend editing software and tools, and general advice. The decision of which shots to keep was easier than I anticipated. I had assumed it would be difficult to choose between two great takes, but most of them had a clear outlier of the best shot. There were also easy ways to eliminate takes by spotting awkward angles, too much shaking, or actors peeking into the shot before their scene. This process was also helped by the quick thinking of my past self. During the filming sessions I would delete some takes that ended quickly due to early mistakes or shots with noticeable mistakes. This wasn't a fool proof strategy as some of the sound or shots could be used for transitions or to play in other shots, but it certainly helped the future process. I plan to employ a similar method after filming alone with my dog, but instead of deleting takes after every shot I'll delete a few during breaks. This way, both the actors and I can stay focused on the task at hand without waiting for me to make a quick deletion. While sorting through shots, I kept note of the variety of shots we had filmed. I noticed we have a lot of low angle shots and few high angle shots. However, there was a good variety of medium shots, tracking shots, wide angles, long shots, and close ups. I believe these shots not only reflect horror and comedy tropes, but also tell from the low angle or perspective of a chihuahua. This position adds more to the smallness of Chico and the true feat it is for him to have slain all the people he did. This element of unbelievability adds to the comedy of the film nicely. As well as looking at shots, I gave suggestions on how to edit them as well. As Ariel is the main editor, I told her of an older editing program I used to use for personal projects. While a little outdated, it still performs well and can adequately serve what we need it for. In turn, Ariel showed me a way to color correct our footage to swap day for night in shots and maintain the quality and visibility of shots.