Post Production: The Magic of Editing
Your pre-planning is done, footage is shot, and the interviews are over. Now what?
It is at this point that everything begins to come together.
Searching for the most appropriate and interesting shots, the producer will begin to sort and log the previously shot footage. This process will result in identifiable starting and ending time codes, or digitally recorded signals recorded on videotape and meant to recognize each frame by hour, minute, second and frame number. Time coding helps the producer to identify which shots are available to him and categorize those he’d like to use.
After taking note and organizing the best takes, the footage is captured, digitizing the said footage into the computer, allowing for suitable manipulation. An often unknown fact is that capturing footage is a real-time process. This means that if there are 7 hours of tape it will take 7 hours to complete capturing.
Notably, there are newly developed technologies which allow the logging and capturing steps to be bypassed. Make sure to watch for upcoming What’s Your Vision articles addressing the details and benefits of this topic.
The prettiest shots have been digitized and it’s time to get into the meat of the non-linear editing process, which generally stays the same for standard definition, HD, and anything in between.
Non-linear editing allows access to any frame, regardless of sequence in the clip. This enables the person editing to easily include fades, transitions, and other effects. It is also during this time that appropriate B-roll footage is cut into the video.
What is B-roll you ask?
Referring back to an older form of editing, editing suite tape decks used to be labeled by letter. The ‘A’ deck contained the main tape with the interview material and the ‘B’ deck ran tapes holding additional footage and supporting commentary. Simply put, B-roll is supplemental footage used to add interest to the video. Cutting away to B-roll can also be used to hide distracting verbal or physical tics, much to the delight of interviewees everywhere.
As the shots are strung together and audio is matched up, the producer begins to envision what kind of effects will make that particular piece the most efficient, functional, and unique.
Graphics and text are often used to demonstrate and inform, offering the spectator a wide range of clear, content enlightening visuals.
Music is frequently utilized in video to portray and evoke a certain emotion from the audience. From upbeat to leisurely, video production companies usually hold a library of songs that can help their clients depict a certain sentiment. And it is through the course of editing that music is embedded, helping bring the video to life.
Graphics, text and music have all been mentioned as effects, but there’s something missing…special effects.
Those words probably invoked excess visions of “Die Hard” and “Indiana Jones” scenes and, undoubtedly, those movies used immense special effects. But often special effects, such as animation and compositing, can be scaled down to add depth and appeal to the everyday video too.
As a DVD, flash video, digital retail piece, or addition to your website, video can indisputably add allure to your project or product.
Going through the process of having a video created can be daunting, but educating yourself can make it fun. We hope that you can take some tips from this, and upcoming, newsletters and enjoy the process and the people during your next video project.
And, the next time you’re being interviewed, feel free to trip up all you want. They can always edit it out.
