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UNIT 15 EDITING Structure 15.0 Introduction 15.1 Learning Outcomes 15.2 What Is Editing? 15.3 Historical Background 15.4 : Techniques and Guidelines 15.4.1 Approach 15.4.2 Parallel Editing 15.4.3 Editing 15.4.4 Video Transitions 15.4.5 Basic Guidelines for Video Editing 15.5 Non-Linear Editing: Interface, Process and Technique 15.5.1 Non- Software 15.5.2 Non-Linear Editing User Interface 15.5.3 Process of Editing In Non-Linear System 15.6 Let Us Sum Up 15.7 Further Readings 15.8 Check Your Progress: Possible Answers 15.0 INTRODUCTION Editing is an important stage of television programme production. Only after the completion of this stage, a programme comes into its final shape. Whether it is news programme or entertainment programme, editing plays a major role in all types of television production. But it is also true that the time available for editing in different types of television programmes may vary. For example, you will get significantly less time to produce a news package than an entertainment television show. Therefore, in this case, editing should be very fast. You will certainly find difference in editing a news programme and editing a documentary or a short or a film. Generally, news programmes are produced in a hurry and their main focus is on providing information to the audience as quickly as possible, instead of the aesthetic aspects of the presentation. In such cases, the speed is more important than aesthetics in TV news editing. In this unit, we shall discuss the different aspects of video editing. 15.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES After going through this unit, you will be able to: ●● discuss the importance of video editing in television programme production; ●● explain the process of non-linear video editing; ●● describe the different techniques and guidelines of video editing; and ●● understand the user interface and tools of a .

MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 242 05-05-2021 12:30:55 15.2 WHAT IS EDITING? Editing Editing takes place in all the mediums but in this unit, we shall discuss editing in the context of audio-visual programme production. In simple words, we can say that selecting, combining and trimming various audio and visual elements to convey the intended message effectively is called editing. You can compare editing with cooking. Just as in cooking, we prepare a final dish using various ingredients; similarly in video editing we create a final programme using various audio and visual elements. If you take the example of a documentary film, we have many materials such as recorded , voice-overs, interviews, graphics, background music, audio and video effects, etc. During editing, we use all these components in such a way that finally an effective documentary comes out. Figure (1) explains this process clearly.

Figure 1: Editing Writing with Images: We have already discussed in previous units that audio-visual media use both audio and visual components, but the visual always dominates. Thus, for a good editor, it is necessary that s/he knows the art of storytelling with images. It is basically the art of writing with images. Different shots interact with each other and create meaning. Shots should be arranged in such a way that they can convey the desired meaning. Just like different arrangements of the same words can give different meanings, similarly different arrangements of the same shots can create different meanings. See the following example: 1: A college student enters his house. Shot 2: He opens his bedroom’s door and comes into it. Shot 3: He is shocked after looking towards his bed. Shot 4: A black cobra is sitting on his bed. Now we put these shots in two different sequences. Case A: Here we shall put all four shots in following sequence: shot 1 – shot 2 – shot 3 - shot 4 So, in case-A, suspense will arise after shot-3. After shot - 3, viewers will think why that college student was shocked. 243

MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 243 05-05-2021 12:30:55 Audiovisual Production - II Case B: Here we shall put the same four shots but in a different sequence: shot 1 – shot 4 – shot 2 - shot 3 Here too, the same four shots are used, but they are arranged in a different sequence, so it will also have an impact on the meaning. In this case, after seeing shot 4, there will be a mixed sense of fear and suspense in the audience. They have already come to know that there is a snake on the bed. Now they are thinking that there is a snake on the bed and this college student is going there, what will happen to him? We shall discuss it with one more example. The following figures (2) and (3) will explain it further in detail.

Figure 2 The figure (2) has a total of six shots in a particular arrangement (1,2,3,4,5,6). After watching this arrangement, one may think that the child is sitting on the couch and thinking something. He then calls someone on the phone. Meanwhile, his elder sister arrives and asks him to disconnect the phone. He follows his sister’s instructions and listens to her. Now look at the Case 2 in figure (3). This case also has the same six shots but in different arrangement (6,5,1,2,3,4).

Figure 3 244

MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 244 05-05-2021 12:30:55 Here in the case-2, different arrangement of the same shots creates different Editing meaning. In this case, one may think that the boy is sitting on the couch and his sister is asking him to call someone. He thinks something and then follows the sister’s instruction. We can clearly see that if the same six shots are arranged in different ways, almost opposite meaning may be derived. Therefore, a good editor should know the art of storytelling with the help of images. An Invisible Art: Editing is often called an invisible art. It is a unique process, particularly in film and video productions, where multiple motion pictures are combined to create a story. This ‘cutting and joining’ process is often referred to as ‘invisible art’ because, as in any well-edited film or programme, the viewers are so deeply involved and so engrossed in watching it that they cannot even think about the editor’s efforts. Editing: Technology and Role of Editor Basically the job of any is to simply put different pieces of motion pictures together, off unwanted footage, and edit dialogue sequences along with balancing their audio. It is just like joining the pieces in a linear way. An editor has to handle lots of images, motion pictures, dialogues, music and other elements. S/he mixes all of them in such a way so that when it is played before the viewers, they assume the whole film or programme as a single piece. It is very challenging for any editor to maintain the pace, continuity and rhythm. Until the 1990s, editing was very challenging and a highly specialized job. After the expansion of computer technology and digitization of photography and , it moved out from the limited expert hands to the common masses. Simultaneously, it now opens up the new challenges for video editors to utilize and experiment with these tools for crafting new stunning and mesmerizing visual effects to attract the viewers. Traditional analogue process had lots of limitations. But now, technology offers various digital editing tools in form of both commercial and open source software. Software like, Adobe® Premier Pro®, Sony Vegas®, Final Cut Pro® etc. are some professional high-end digital editing software. These are commercial software, and can be used after purchasing their licenses. Some open source software are also available which are free for use. These free open source software are - HitFilm Express®, Openshot®, Shotcut® etc. Along with these, editors also need photo editing and special effects compositing software such as Adobe Photoshop®, Adobe After Effect® etc. Both are commercial software and require valid license to use them. Here, you can also use open source digital photo editing software such as Krita®. These new digital tools not only help to perform fast and quality editing but are also helpful in controlling colors, lights, image resolution and basic motion jerks, keying and overall balancing etc. Here, one important thing you may note is that these software will enable you to finish the job effectively, but do not expect magic from them. Technology can only help in functioning or execution; it is the human brain and creative skills that transform any piece of edited film into an extraordinary production. 245

MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 245 05-05-2021 12:30:55 Audiovisual Production - II 15.3 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND In 1895, the world’s first commercial movie screening was held in Paris. This movie was produced by two brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumiere (Lumiere brothers) from France. They invented a motion picture camera Cinematographe (Fig : 4). This camera was unique in itself as it could capture, record and project the scene. This three in one Cinematographe machine had one roll of film on which continuous visuals were recorded and after processing it with photographic developing chemicals it was ready for projection through the in-built projector. This invention of Lumiere brothers had changed the paradigm of motion picture technology.

Image source: By Victorgrigas - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36486714 Figure 4: Cinematographe Development of editing process for motion pictures can be divided into three phases: • Physical cutting of film • Electro-magnetic video tape editing and • Digital Non-Linear Editing In the initial phase of motion picture, there was no concept of editing. It was the cameraman who stopped cranking (rolling) the magazine (film roll) when the shot was over or the shot changed and started cranking again for the next shot. Each shot was planned in such a way that the entire act had to be performed in a single go without any cuts. The famous filmmaker Georges Méliès tried some tricks to create confusion. In his shoot, he spewed smoke between the artist and the camera to create a magical effect. After holding cranking for a few seconds, he asked the actor to move out of the frame. When the artist left the frame, he again rolled the crank. In this way, when it was played it appeared that the artist had magically disappeared. Later on, Edwin S. Porter (1901) came up with a technique in which he joined scenes exposed on different film rolls together to make it little lengthier. In this way, first stage of editing technique came into existence. It was not an easy task for editors. Razor blade, iron based solution and tapes were used as the tools for editing. The editing process was full of limitations. In 246

MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 246 05-05-2021 12:30:55 this type of editing, extreme precision, practice and patience were required. Editing Until late 1920’s, this slicing and sticking process continued as a process of film editing. During this era, many film makers did not prefer editing. Their view point was to go with minimal intrusion. Charlie Chaplin are the example of long takes. However, some directors chose to do sequence based shootings as it helped to get the audience’s deeper involvement in the story. In 1924, an important evolution happened when a machine named ‘Moviola’ was invented. In this machine, the editor was able to view the film while editing and could cut/slice at any specific point. Moviola made film editing more crisper and accurate in terms of cut points. This machine was used for almost half a century in the film industry. During 1950s, magnetic recording machines were invented, and the editing process became much easier. Corporation manufactured VR-1000, a black and white videotape recorder (VTR). It had open reels of two inches wide and consisted four-part record pattern. Due to this feature, it was also called 2-inch quadraplex tape. It had the same prevailing linear method of editing. During 1960s, the very first video editing controller machine was invented by the Electronics Engineering Company (EECO). This time code based machine helped in taking more control on the editing process. The time code helped in providing accurate control over frame by frame editing. When this system got huge success, some other companies started developing their own models, resulting in various type of time code models came out in the market. Later on, the Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers (SMPTE) developed the standard time code which is now universally adopted by the broadcast industry. In the early 1970s, U-matic cassette entered the broadcast industry. It was developed by Sony Corporation. This ¾ inch U-matic format video recorder was much smaller in size as compared to others. It became standard format for all VCR manufacturers very soon. This format led the way to the advanced cassette based editing systems. In 1980s, Betacam and Betacam SP came to the market and became industry’s favorite as they offered high- quality video signals. The manufacturers of editing machines grabbed this opportunity and started making high-quality editing systems. Non-linear editing system was introduced in the form of CMX 600 in 1971. It was specified as a RAVE or Random Access Video Editor by CMX. It had two black and white monitors, one for edited video and the second one for preview. In the preview monitor the editor could view the original footage and select the editing points. During 1980’s major expansion happened. That was the time when production houses were competing to save time and energy, visual effects were used to mesmerize the viewers and the process of editing had become little faster. Gradually the technology developed, different machines were invented, but the Avid system was the most expensive in that era. It became a very popular non-linear editing machine. Further, Final Cut Pro editing software (Apple Inc.), () and Adobe Premier Pro (Adobe) grabbed the maximum share of film and television editing industry. Gradually the technology developed and video editing became easier. Today, there are many such apps available, with the help of which people 247

MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 247 05-05-2021 12:30:55 Audiovisual Production - II can do basic video editing on their smartphones. Technology has made video editing accessible to common people. Check Your Progress 1 Note: Use the space given below for your answers. Compare you answers with those given at the end of the unit. 1. Cinématographe was invented by ______. a. Louis and Auguste Lumière b. Edison c. Edwin S. Porter d. D. W. Griffith 2. Which of the following is called invisible art ? a. Script writing b. Painting c. Film editing d. Acting 3. Moviola was a/an ______. a. Camera b. Editing machine c. Writing format d. Acting style 4. Different arrangements of the same shots can create different meanings. a. True b. False 15.4 VIDEO EDITING: TECHNIQUES AND GUIDELINES Whether it is linear (conventional) or non-linear (digital) editing, both serve the same purpose, i.e. to narrate a saga by developing drama to engage the audience. It is only the change of tools and techniques. Basic concept to edit any given story in an interesting order remains same in both methods. While the linear technique of editing was difficult and had limited tools, non-linear editing has vast number of tools and effects that help in finishing the task more effectively. It gives the flexibility to re-edit a film/TV programme at any point of timecode by adding, manipulating or removing the shots. Here, we shall discuss the process of video editing. The ultimate aim of any editing process is to create a final product i.e. film or any video programme. The final product should be smooth and engaging. We can divide the editing process into two stages : rough edit and final edit. Rough edit is just putting relevant videos or visuals with the audio track. These are fine-tuned later on by trimming/expanding as per the requirement of the story. Adding the suitable VFX and transitions to any film/programme makes the entire production crisp, meaningful and attractive. The main job of an editor is to engage the viewers and keep their attention uninterrupted. Some useful editing techniques and rules have been developed by the old 248

MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 248 05-05-2021 12:30:55 masters. Understanding and following those will help you in learning Editing editing. Now, we shall discuss some important video editing techniques and guidelines. 15.4.1 Continuity Editing Approach Continuity editing approach supports the logical, smooth and seamless progression of the story. According to this approach, viewers should not feel any jerk or distraction while watching a film or any television programme. The most accurate continuity can be maintained by presenting the footage without any editing. It will present the real happening with complete continuity, but it is not possible. We need editing to compress the time and space otherwise, it will not be possible to tell the whole story in the short duration of a film or television programme. So, as an editor we have two major challenges. First, to tell the whole story within the time limit of the film or programme, and second, to present the story in such awaythat viewers should find it seamless without any visual or psychological jerks or distractions. In editing, we combine different shots taken at different times and places, audio elements and other visual components to produce a complete film or programme. We have to combine them in such a way that they appear smooth and seamless. Continuity editing creates the sense of continuous and logically smooth action. It generally presents the action in a logical and chronological sequence. Even though the time and space of a sequence may be manipulated, it has the appearance of real time to the audiences. While editing a film or a programme, we should take care of different types of continuity, for example – space and time continuity, props and costume continuity, acting continuity, audio continuity, etc. The direction in which things move on screen is important in continuity editing. If a bus exits the screen on the right, it will be expected in a following shot to reappear from the left, otherwise the bus will be perceived as a different bus coming from the opposite direction. The relative positions of the characters are also important for maintaining continuity. In this context, 180 degree rule is very important. We have already discussed this rule in the unit-13. If you will break the 180 degree rule, relative positions of your characters will change and it will cause confusion in viewers’ mind which is not good for the continuity. Following figure (5) shows the result of breaking 180 degree rule.

Figure 5: Breaking 180 degree rule 249

MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 249 05-05-2021 12:30:56 Audiovisual Production - II In the above figure, we can clearly see that violation of 180 degree rule has changed the relative position of the two characters. It disturbs the continuity. For maintaining continuity, we should follow few more rules given below: i. Always remember that cut should be seamless and smooth. It is treated as a good edit point if the viewer does not notice any distraction. ii. : Always cut at action. When you cut a shot at any action point, viewer assumes or expects the next logical shot, because his/her brain anticipates the result of previous shot. Figure (6) explains it properly.

Figure 6 Here the long shot of kicking the ball near goal post has been cut at action (Clip A), in between the shot of a trophy (Clip B) inserted (for showing winning goal) before next close up of the football in goal post (Clip C). It makes the sense of match winning moment. iii. : When we cut from one shot to another and match the two shots by the action or subject to create a seamless reality-effect, it is called match cut. We use this technique to maintain the continuity while combining two shots of different activities. iv. Invisible cut: These types of cuts are used to create the effect of continuous take. Invisible cut joins two shots with similar frames together. It is used to hide the transition from the viewers. Here, you have to be more creative by using certain momentary shots very cleverly. 15.4.2 Parallel Editing This is sometimes also termed as cross-cutting. It is an editing technique which is used to cut between shots of two or more actions or events. It suggests that these actions are going on at different places, generally at the same time. Cross-cutting includes more than one shot which are used simultaneously to link the story together. It can be used to show the two sides of a story. It may also be used to build suspense and excitement in the story and sometimes contradict the other scene. We can make the sequence more interesting with the help of parallel editing. Following figure (7) explains the parallel editing in which shots of two different actions are used.

Figure 7: Parallel editing 15.4.3 Montage Editing In this editing technique, a series of different types of short shots are put together in a sequence, generally to compress the time and space. Montage 250

MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 250 05-05-2021 12:30:56 Editing is almost opposite to the continuity editing. It may also be used to Editing give viewer a sense of overall summary of the story with different shots. Montage can be used to create dynamic rhythm in a scene. This technique may be used with loud music. 15.4.4 Video Transitions We use video transitions to connect two shots one after the other. They provide the viewers with a seamless and smooth visual experience that is the base of continuity editing approach. Cut is the most basic but most powerful and maximum used transition. Fade, , , slide, page peel, iris, etc. are other popular transitions. Transitions are used in audio also. You should always use video transitions with a purpose. Figure (8) explains the transition with a diagram.

Figure 8: Video transition 15.4.5 Basic Guidelines for Video Editing We have discussed some important editing techniques. Now we shall talk about some basic guidelines of video editing. If you follow them, you can be a better editor. These guidelines are as follows: ●● The interaction between the two shots creates meaning. An editor must understand this principle and focus on the meaning emerging from the interaction between two juxtaposed shots. ●● Do not cut without any positive reason. ●● Reaction shots are important for logical and smooth progression of the story. So, use the reaction shots suitably. ●● Close-ups enhance emotional impacts. ●● Always keep it in mind that - A picture is worth a thousand words and action speaks louder than words. ●● Television is an audio-visual medium and a good editor should always remember this principle - If you can show, do not tell. ●● As a general rule, avoid jump cuts. But jump cuts can also be used creatively. ●● Using different shots such as long shot, medium and close-up helps to create a more effective sequence. They provide pace to the story. ●● Use only the required length of a shot which is appropriate to convey the information. In a dialogue scene, length of shot can be as long as the conversation going on. If it is getting lengthier then relevant (reaction) can be used at a certain point to avoid monotony. ●● The different pacing of shots (fast cuts and slow cuts) create different mood and atmosphere. For example, fast or rapid pacing () can create excitement, passion and thrill whereas slow pacing () shows thoughtfulness and relaxation. Slow cutting can also be used to create suspense. 251

MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 251 05-05-2021 12:30:56 Audiovisual Production - II ●● Use cut-ins and cutaways appropriately. Do you know about cut-ins and cutaways? Let us discuss them briefly. Cut-ins: As the name suggests, cut-ins mean, first cut the main shot and then go inside it. The cut-ins are the close-up shots of something visible in the main shot. Take the example of a television interview. Your guest is explaining something and you interrupt that shot by placing closeup shots of her finger movements or leg movements or facial expressions and then return to the original shot. Here, these closeup shots will be called cut- ins. You can use the cut-ins to add additional information coming from the guest’s body language. Cut-ins are also used to correct issues and break the monotony of lengthy shots. Cutaways: Cutaways mean, cut a shot and go away from that scene and return again to that scene. It is the interruption in a continuously recorded action by putting a shot of something else. It is generally followed by a cut back to the first shot. Just take one more example of a television interview. You have taken an interview of a doctor on COVID-19. You recorded the whole interview. Now, you are editing it. Just take an example of a shot in which your expert is describing the trial phases of a vaccine. If you will keep that shot as it is for a long duration, it will become boring. So, after the shot of doctor in which he is describing trial phases, you put the shots of vaccine trial and again return to the previous shot of the doctor. Here, the shots of vaccine trial will be called cutaways. With the help of cutaways, you can make your interview more interesting and informative. Cutaways can also be used to correct jump cuts. Check Your Progress 2 Note: Use the space given below for your answers. Compare you answers with those given at the end of the unit. 1. What is video transition ? ...... 2. Parallel Editing is sometimes also termed as cross-cutting. a. True b. False 3. Cut-ins and cutaways are similar things. a. True b. False 4. By breaking 180 degree rule, you can maintain the continuity. a. True b. False

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MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 252 05-05-2021 12:30:56 15.5 NON-LINEAR EDITING: INTERFACE, PROCESS Editing AND TECHNIQUE In this section, we shall discuss the non-linear video editing in detail. We shall talk about the different non-linear video editing software, their user interface and the complete process of non-linear editing. 15.5.1 Non-Linear Video Editing Software We have discussed editing techniques in detail in previous sections. Now we shall take a quick look at some of the major non-liner video editing software used by professionals. Majority of them uses high-end proprietary software, but many open-source NLE software are also available. Open- source software are free and have more or less the same basic tools that are needed to edit a video programme. You can see few examples of both types of NLE software (proprietary and open-source) below. NLE Software (Proprietary) ●● Adobe® Premier Pro® ●● Sony® Vegas Pro 17® ●● Apple® Final Cut Pro X® ●● Pinnacle Systems® Pinnacle Studio 23 Ultimate® ●● Lightworks® NLE Software (Open-Source) ●● Openshot Video Editor® ●● Blender® ●● HitFilm Express® Different editing software may have similar or slightly different function tools, transitions/effects, correction/adjustments and outputting controls but the techniques of editing remain almost same. Though they may have different names for tools and controls, their functions are almost same. The screenshots of few popular NLE software user interfaces have been given below for your reference where you will find almost similar gallery, timeline, preview window and controls buttons.

Figure 9: Screenshot of Pinnacle Studio® 253

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Figure 10: Screenshot of Sony Vegas®

Figure 11: Screenshot of Final Cut Pro®

Figure 12: Screenshot of Lightworks® 254

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Figure 13: Screenshot of HitFilm Express® 15.5.2 Non-Linear Editing User Interface As we discussed above, most video editing software have almost identical tools, windows, and controls. They can be named differently but are used for almost similar purposes. To understand NLE software more clearly, it is necessary to discuss the user interface of a software. Here, we have taken Adobe Premiere Pro as an example and we will discuss its user interface with the help of screenshots. You can see the workspace layout of Adobe Premier Pro software in figure-14. Here you can find different windows and panels that have specific features.

Figure 14: Adobe Premier Pro user interface ●● Source Monitor: Here clips can be previewed for editing. You can watch the clips in this monitor before placing them on the timeline. ●● Source Monitor Controls: Play, pause, in & out control buttons are provided for preview. ●● Project Panel: It is the gallery where all media files are imported/ stored for the use in editing. 255

MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 255 05-05-2021 12:30:57 Audiovisual Production - II ●● Tools Panel: Here you will find different editing tools that perform different tasks in video editing. Figure-15 shows the different tools - 1.Selection, 2.Track select, 3.Ripple edit, 4.Rolling edit, 5.Rate stretch, 6.Razor, 7.Slip, 8.Slide, 9.Pen, 10.Hand and 11.Zoom tools. Each tool has its unique function that helps us in editing on Timeline.

Figure 15: Tool panel ●● Timeline: Timeline is the place where your video takes the final shape. This is the area where the main editing is done. You can fetch video clips, still images or audio clips from the project panel or from the source window here and arrange them in the desired sequence. This is the place where you can cut and join different clips, add transitions, etc. It means, almost all editing takes place on the timeline. Here you will find separate tracks for audio and video. Any required number of tracks (both audio and video) can be added and stacked over for placing the clips. Figure (16) shows the timeline.

Figure 16: Timeline ●● Audio Level Meter and Audio Track Mixer: Here you can monitor the output sound level and can adjust audio level of any individual track. Figure (17) describes the structure of audio track mixer. 256

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Figure 17: Audio track mixer ●● Program Monitor: We organize and edit different media clips on the timeline and the program monitor shows them. If you want to see the active arrangement of the clips on the timeline, you can watch it in the program monitor. 15.5.3 Process of Editing In Non-Linear System In this subsection, we shall discuss the process of editing in a non-linear editing system. Here, we shall talk about some important steps. To begin editing, first, we have to create a project or file and determine the location on the hard drive of the computer to store this project. You can see this process in Figure 18. Here, you also give a name to your project.

Figure 18: Starting a project After that we choose different audio and video settings for the project. Now, the next step is to import or capture media files. A video sequence is composed of video, audio, still images, and graphics. To use these different types of digital media files in video editing software, it is necessary to import them into the project. There is a project panel where we can import video, audio, image or graphics files. Once we import them, then we can use them in editing. You can also capture them directly from a digital camera or any other player. In figure (19), you can see the imported media files in the project panel on the left. 257

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Figure 19: Imported media files in project panel After importing all the necessary video, audio, still images and graphics files, you are now ready with all the materials. You can place and arrange them on the timeline according to your need. The timeline is the main place where all different types of editing activities take place. You can use various editing tools available in the tool panel. You can cut and add files, you can place relevant audio with visuals, you can add audio and video transitions and other effects and so on. As we discussed earlier, you can see everything done on the timeline in the program monitor. Finally, your video program is ready on the timeline. Now, it is time for the last step, exporting your video file in desired format. The editing software offers lots of options and you can choose the format according to your requirement. AVI, Windows Media, MPEG4, H.264, QuickTime, etc. are some popular formats. Figure (20) shows this step.

Figure 20: Exporting the final video Working on Green/Blue Screen It is an important and popular editing technique now used in all major TV/ film formats. This technology is being used everywhere from big budget movies to local TV channels. It is easy to use, less expensive, and no physical location/set is required for shooting. In figure-21, you can see a studio which has a blue screen for shooting. Here you can also see that the front table is also painted blue, so it will be replaced with a digital table.

Figure 21 258

MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 258 05-05-2021 12:30:57 In simple words you can understand it like when anything is recorded Editing against any of these two colours (green or blue) background, can be replaced by some other visuals during editing. In this way we can have a complete different background. It is like superimposing two different shots. In video editing this process is called keying. So, keying is a special compositing effect in which we take a part of a video and make it transparent. This part of the video may also be selected on the basis of colour. And then we superimpose some other visual on it. As a result superimposed visual appears on the transparent portions of the video. You can see the examples of keying in figure 22 and 23.

Figure 22 Figure 23

Activity Download any open-source video editing software and try to do the following editing activities: Import video clips, place them on the timeline, cut out the unwanted parts of those clips, join those clips together, and experiment with the video transitions available in that software. Check Your Progress 3 Note: Use the space given below for your answers. Compare you answers with those given at the end of the unit. 1. What is timeline in video editing ? ...... 2. Clips placed on timeline can be viewed in program monitor. a. True b. False 3. Source monitor is also called program monitor. a. True b. False 4. AVI is a video file format. a. True b. False 259

MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 259 05-05-2021 12:30:57 Audiovisual Production - II 15.6 LET US SUM UP Editing is a very vital step in film or video production. It is a post-production activity. Here we give final and finished shape to our programmes. In this phase, we can also correct the mistakes made during the shooting to some extent. Editing is a mixture of technical proficiency and aesthetical sense. If you have an understanding to tell the story through images, you can become a better editor. In this unit, we have discussed the historical journey of video editing and the important editing techniques. We also discussed some guidelines for good editing. You can improve your editing by following them. Various editing software, their user interfaces and non-liner editing process have also been discussed in this unit. 15.7 FURTHER READINGS Dancyger, K. (2014). The technique of film and video editing: history, theory, and practice. CRC Press. Dmytryk, E., & Lund, A. (2019). On film editing: An introduction to the art of film construction. New York, NY: Routledge. Murch, W. (2001). In the blink of an eye: A perspective on film editing. Los Angeles: Silman-James Press. Pearlman, K. (2015). Cutting rhythms: Shaping the film edit. New York: Focal. 15.8 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: POSSIBLE ANSWERS Check Your Progress 1 1. a. Louis and Auguste Lumière 2. c. Film editing 3. b. Editing machine 4. a. True Check Your Progress 2 1. Video transitions are used to connect two shots one after the other. They provide the viewers with a seamless and smooth visual experience that is the base of continuity editing approach. 2. a. True 3. b. False 4. b. False Check Your Progress 3 1. Timeline is the place where your video takes the final shape. This is the area where the main editing is done. Here you will find separate tracks for audio and video. On timeline, you can cut and join different clips together, add transitions, etc. 2. a. True 3. b. False 4. a. True

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