commercial editing cheat sheet
jo gibbon shares what she’s learnt over the years cutting commercials.
There seem to be a million unspoken rules when it comes to cutting a
commercial. I’m not talking about the technicalities of film making (crossing the
line, cutting to & from different shot sizes for differing reasons etc.) I’m talking
about the approvals process.
Over time, my method of cutting a commercial from start to finish has become
defined by the approvals process.
Editing is very Zen. You have to love each cut you have made; each decision
painstakingly taken, knowing that each frame is equally important to the whole.
But you have to be able to let it go. That amazing balance of timing & mood…
destroyed by the limitation of having to have the title a certain length, to fit a
piece of voice-over in or cram it all into thirty seconds.
The skill of editing is to find that perfect cut within all of these boundaries as well
as the director’s vision (not applicable in this case), the agencies wishes & the
client’s needs.
I read the brief. Thoroughly. I could do anything with the rushes, but the brief is
a rough map of where I should be heading. This will help inform my choices
later.
I then start by going through the rushes. I order them into timelines by scene or
character or rough story telling evolution. I leave everything in. I don’t cut out
the n.g. (no good) takes. I leave in the shots of the director walking into shot to
adjust an actor or a prop.
Sometimes the bit you need is right before, after or during some of his mess. I
watch them all real time. If something leaps out at me, I might make a mark or
throw it in a selects timeline … but mostly I just watch & learn my rushes.
This is so that, later when I’m in an approval & have made a decision to use one
take out of twenty, I know exactly why. I also know what else is available if
director, agency or client wants to see a different option. You have to keep in
mind that the reasons that a particular take appeals to you might be different to
that of others. You have to be very sure of your decision but open to trying
other ideas.
If you know your rushes then you can help guide this process instead of being at
the mercy of other people’s ideas. Try not to over explain (sell) your idea.
Rather show them an alternative & then (honestly) explain why you think it does
or does not help the overall commercial.
They (director/agency/client) have to be allowed their time to play with the
footage. They may have been on set and remember, and have already gotten
attached to, some performance or take. You are their guide in this process.
They may try a million things and hate them all or their ideas might add to yours
and take the commercial another notch up.
These are the ideal outcomes. There are no guarantees. It is a part of the job to
come out of the process with a cut that you’re happy with AND that everyone
else (director/agency/client) is happy (hopefully over the moon) with. They
have different boxes to tick from you. A great commercial is the successful
managing of this process, making everyone happy that their vision and needs
for the commercial have been fulfilled and STILL making an amazing creative
piece of work.
Once I feel like I “know” the rushes a bit better, I start to select. Remembering
that story & performance are king.
These selects are either marked in the timeline that has everything in it, or I make
a separate selects timeline. This means that when you’re asked for other
performance or shot options you can show your ideal shortlist rather than
everything (which can be overwhelming).
This is not a fixed rule as they may ask to see ALL the rushes. Let them. Trust the
process. Try your best to make their idea work, then comment honestly as to
why you think this choice makes the commercial stronger, weaker or no
different from your original choice.
Once I’ve made my selects, I pick a piece of music & then I start to cut.
This is where I leave off …
It now comes down to your personal style - no one cares what your process is, as
long as you have an awesome commercial when you’re done.
My only other tip is to cut to whatever length feels good. Then duplicate that
timeline & refine it down to time. Present the cut that is to time.
If you have several ideas then make several cuts. Try your favourite cut against
other pieces of music. See if your original music choice is still the best one.
Present your favourite cut first. Ask if you may present an alternative option, but
know that presenting too many cuts will make you seem unsure.
Lastly, work neatly. Keep track of the evolution of your cut. Keep track of the
cuts as they change and evolve through the approval process. Save often.
Have fun.