Editing Video

For a group project in a class, Documentary Production, we are working on a short film about a local gentleman named Beut. The three of us spent a lot of time getting to know Beut, learning his story, understanding him... This week is editing week (we are using Avid... a learning process unto itself is all I'll say there). I've learned a few things in this process (mostly through mistakes, others from other people, and all random for now):

- Start off with a vision of the story you want to tell.

- Getting to know the subjects and getting the footage is not all that different from still photography, just different content is gathered (more interviews, etc.).

- Set up your shots thinking about framing and composition and let the action move through the frame.

- Always check the batteries on your external mic and your audio levels.

- Use headphones.

- When shooting with two cameras, having the same type of two cameras is helpful. One with HD and one that is not looks different when editing.

- Stick to the three second rule when interviewing: wait for three seconds of silence before you ask your next question. People may say the best stuff in those seconds, or, if nothing else, you get a clean break for editing.

- Know the story you want to tell, change the way you want to tell it, be willing to continue changing it.

- Let things in that story be discovered by the audience... not everything has to be stated, or stated upfront for that matter.

- Again for emphasis... always check your audio levels.
- And we shot too much.