Although editing can be different from project to project, I learned that editing is a process in Week 4 of class. In this class we started our Editing 1 assignment, which was to edit the video we collected for our first shooting assignment. Our Shooting 1 assignment was to shoot a simple sequence of one person doing a repetitive action. Althought the action was repetitive, Mindy wanted the action to have complexity and variation so that we would have interesting video. We were also instructed to avoid long shots, but to press the record button after capturing about 10 seconds of a specific action. Mindy said this would make the editing process easier.
Once we started editing in lab, I understood why we were instructed to shoot for 10 seconds without moving the camera. Mindy showed us how to capture our video and edit in Windows Movie Maker. I decided to video a hairstylist shampooing and styling a customer’s hair. In some of the shots I would capture the stylist at a good angle, and then she would make an abrupt movement and reach for a comb or a product. But by me holding the camera still for 10 seconds, I could at least keep the 5 seconds of the shot when she was at a nice angle and edit out the other 5 seconds when she moved out of the camera’s lens. This shooting technique made editing easy also because I could line up all the shot sequences and put them in the order I wanted because each shot had the stylist doing something different at a different angle. For example, I started out with a close ups of her hands rapidly shampooing the hair, and then I chose another 10 second segment with a close up of her face. So we edited the most interesting clips to include in our videos.
Mindy warned us to watch out for error incontinuity or jump cuts, which happens when similar shots or angles of a subject appear next to each other in sequence, but abrupt differences in the position of the subject makes the move seem unnatural. Mindy used the example of someone shooting a lady sitting wither her dog near her. If the next shot all of sudden doesn’t have the dog in it, and the lady is still sitting in the same place (being shot at the same angle) then it seems as if the dog has disappeared in thin air. Or if someone is being shot waist-up from the front and the next shot is of the same person (waist-up ) with their back completely turned from the camera, this will seem weird. Mindy said a transition shot should be added (for example of the dog leaving the womans side or of the person turning around) to connect these two extremely different shots. We don’t want the audience to think we are trying to play tricks on their eyes.
For this class we also read Chapter 13 about editing in Documentary Storytelling (Bernard). Here are some of the main points I want to remember from this chapter:
1. Basic Editing: the process is mostly the same for all projects, make long assembly of footage you’ve shot and archival material and then you work toward a rough cut, fine cut, picture lock and finally a script lock
2. Rough cut: a draft of film that’s longer than final film will be, has general story and structure in place
3. Fine cut: film is almost to time, major problems worked out, time to polish narration, fact checking stage
4. Picture lock: all images are in place and to time
5. Script lock:narration and voice over are smoothed out
6. Screening footage:look for moments that AFFECT you in some way (emotionally/intellectually), clear/strong interview bites, themes/issues, discussion points for audience, tension/opposition,
7. Rough/Scratch narration: can be written to link elements and make transitions clear
8. Paper editing: doesn’t always work on film
9. Transcripts: should be done accurately and thoroughly for interviews b/c it will save you time if you need to refer to quotes multiple times throughout the editing process, may also transcribe scenes w/ lots of dialogue, make notes on transcripts of places where subject is particularly animated/energetic b/c some will not be interesting and only used for voice-over
10. Editing scenes: enter late, exit early, where you enter exit scene depends on what scene is about, focus scenes so that their meaning and emphasis in the narrative is clear
11. Anticipate Confusion: weave information in where and when it’s needed so audience doesn’t become too lost, don’t clutter story w/ too much detail,
12. Be your first audience: look at your story w/ fresh eyes each time you make a change, assess weaknesses, don’t ignore problems, continually ask yourself, “Is this interesting?” or “Am I confused?” and “Would I keep watching?”
