Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing A Back to Basics Guide Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing A Back to Basics Guide video editing v the process of digitizing recorded footage into a piece of editing software, rearranging the shots and scenes into an order of clarity and preference. 2 Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing A Back to Basics Guide Contents Why you should read this eBook 04 Introduction 06 Pre edit considerations 08 i. Production Organization 09 ii. Getting the Shots 09 iii. Labelling and Numbering Rushes 10 iv. Logging Rushes 10 v. That’s a Wrap 11 Getting to the edit 12 i. Choosing an Editor 13 ii. Choosing an Edit System 13 a. Final Cut Pro 14 b. Adobe Premiere 15 c. Avid Media Composer 16 d. Minimum System Requirements 17 Stepping into the cutting room 18 i. Digitizing Rushes 19 ii. Organizing and Viewing the Rushes 20 iii. Devise a Structure 21 iv. Make a Rough Cut 21 v. Choosing Music 22 vi. Adding Transitions 23 vii. The Fine Cut 24 Final processes 25 i. The Tracklay 26 ii. The Online 26 iii. Export and Delivery 27 iv. Reversioning 27 Conclusion 28 About this eBook 30 i. About the Author 31 ii. About Aframe 32 3 Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing A Back to Basics Guide 1. Why you should read this eBook 4 Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing A Back to Basics Guide Why you should read this eBook This eBook will outline the process of creating and editing a professional video. From considerations of what to take on location during the production period, to outlining the basic steps of the editing and post production process, the aim is to educate, innovate and inspire. In brief, Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing will teach you how to: • Plan for the edit • Copy and organise files • Create a project • Refine timeline to desired time as well as adding transitions, effects & graphics • Balance the audio • Export the project • Maybe even win yourself an award! 5 Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing A Back to Basics Guide 2. Introduction 6 Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing A Back to Basics Guide Introduction Professional editing is a serious business and could mean the difference between a triumph and a flop. Successful editing generates trust from commissioners and clients, which can effectively keep professional video production companies in business. It is, therefore, incredible to think that editing was not always part of the process. In the early days of cinema, Some editors look at films were recorded in a linear fashion and cameras were placed without thought to compositional or emotional an empty sequence considerations - even lighting wasn’t seen as essential. as a painter looking “ Of course, technology has come a long way from sticking at a blank canvas. It’s individual film cells together via a tape splicer. more like a plumber dealing with a leaky There are three fundamental stages to modern video editing, which are similar to the three-act structure of a tap. film, the process of production has a beginning, middle and an end: - Anonymous Beginning: Pre-production is the compositional stage, ” where the outline of the video is created. Middle: The production stage is where filming takes place, recording the vision on screen. End: Post production, perhaps one of the most important steps, is where the recorded footage is organized, then stitched together in an editing room and where the initial pre-production vision will be bought to life. 7 Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing A Back to Basics Guide 3. Pre Edit Considerations 8 Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing A Back to Basics Guide Pre Edit Considerations Production After months of hectic location scouting, casting key characters, early starts and late nights, the filming period will come to a close sooner than Organization expected. Regardless of what genre of video you are producing, it is essential to shoot correctly to achieve an efficient post production process. This means providing the editor with all the shots he or she could need. Alarmingly some projects can turn up compromized in the edit due to poor audio, lighting and even planning. To avoid this, an in-depth pre-production stage is encouraged so that when on location or on set an organized production is achieved. If you maintain an organized shoot, you will maintain an organized editing room. Getting the It is extremely important to know where the production is going before setting out, ensuring all the crew members and camera operators are on Shots the same page. In some scripted cases such as film or drama, directors will produce storyboards to illustrate certain key shots such as close ups, or produce a shot list, as well as calling them on set. In other genres such as documentary making - irrespective of how many research conversations and briefs are conducted before a shoot - many of the filming subjects will be unpredictable and spontaneous, meaning that the camera operator will need to adapt to the surroundings and subject in a more free-flowing fashion. Having a lack of shots to choose from in the edit could seriously harm the finished film, so it is better to overshoot a selection rather than chancing it only to find out later that the editor has been left short changed. Some productions have the luxury and budget to reshoot items should they need to, but this isn’t always possible. It is always better to be safe than sorry. The cutting room will not only desire a range of shots to choose from, but will also need correctly labelled rushes (any recorded material) and a paper log sheet containing detailed information on that material. 9 Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing A Back to Basics Guide Labelling & When labelling tapes and rushes, it is important to provide as much Numbering Rushes information as possible using a structured system. Some media may have been shot by multiple sources or different camera systems and therefore be recorded on a variety of different formats ranging from standard tape stock to SD cards. This makes the clear and logical numbering of tapes, optical discs or memory cards crucial to the smooth running of an organized edit. Standard information should include the following: • Tape/Roll Number (001, 002, 003, etc.) • Date • Name of production • Name of director • Name of camera operator • Name of camera model • Recording format (HDCAM, XDCAM, DVCPRO, etc.) Logging In films or video production, a slate or clapperboard is used to mark particular scenes and take numbers, as well as to assist in the synchronizing Rushes of picture and sound. Information typically includes the date, production title, the name of the director, the name of the director of photography (DoP), the letter of the camera (if a multi-camera setup e.g. Camera A, B or C), and the scene information. In the edit, the slate acts as an easily identifiable point of reference for the editor, alongside the script of the film or episode. Non-scripted projects are harder to predict, therefore it is beneficial to hire an organized logger or use the production runner to take notes throughout the production. At the top of the logging sheet, information should include: • the date • production title • name of the director • name of the camera person • name of the person logging • most importantly, the number of the tape or card it is being shot onto. 10 Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing A Back to Basics Guide If you are filming with more than one person, some log sheets can also include If details of which microphone pack each contributor is wearing (e.g. Mic A or Mic B). Details in the log sheet should include the name of the subject or character being filmed, the location they are being filmed at, and an outline of exactly what is being filmed or said by the contributor. Logging will help the editor locate the tape or card with ease if they require specific material or events. ‘That’s A Wrap!’ After the director wraps filming, it will mark the end of the production - for some! period for many. But for a few, the real work is only about to start. Away from the bright lights and bustling crew members, it will be time to move into a new workspace and settle down to work on a completely different craft – the art of editing. Before beginning the edit, there are a couple of factors to consider: staffing and system preferences. 11 Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing A Back to Basics Guide 4. Getting to the Edit 12 Everything You Need to Know About Professional Video Editing A Back to Basics Guide Getting to the Edit Choosing an The way a video is edited can have a profound effect on its success. Therefore, selecting the right editor to work with the director is vital, as the Editor editor is usually seen as the second most important creative person on the production. Both must share the same vision of the project, and also trust each other’s judgements. He or she will need to meet the particular needs of the project, and have the experience and patience to drive it through to the finish. Speaking to industry professionals for recommendations is a good first port of call.