Everything You Need to Know
About Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
video editing v
the process of digitizing recorded footage
into a piece of editing software, rearranging
the shots and scenes into an order of clarity
and preference.
2
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Contents
Why you should read this eBook04
Introduction06
Pre edit considerations
08
i.
Production Organization
09
ii.
Getting the Shots
iii.
Labelling and Numbering Rushes
10
iv.
Logging Rushes
10
v.
That’s a Wrap
Getting to the edit
i.
Choosing an Editor
ii.
Choosing an Edit System
13
a.
Final Cut Pro
b.
Adobe Premiere
15
c.
Avid Media Composer
d.
Minimum System Requirements
17
Stepping into the cutting room
18
i.
Digitizing Rushes
ii.
Organizing and Viewing the Rushes
iii.
Devise a Structure
iv.
Make a Rough Cut
v.
Choosing Music 22
vi.
Adding Transitions
vii.
The Fine Cut
09
11
12
13
14
16
19
20
21
21
23
24
Final processes
25
i.
The Tracklay
ii.
The Online
iii.
Export and Delivery
iv.
Reversioning
26
26
27
27
Conclusion
28
About this eBook
i.
About the Author
ii.
About Aframe
30
31
32
3
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
1.
Why you should read
this eBook
4
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Why you should read this eBook
This eBook will outline the process of creating and editing a
professional video. From considerations of what to take on
location during the production period, to outlining the basic
steps of the editing and post production process, the aim is
to educate, innovate and inspire.
In brief, Everything You Need to Know About Professional
Video Editing will teach you how to:
•
•
•
•
Plan for the edit
Copy and organise files
Create a project
Refine timeline to desired time as well as adding
transitions, effects & graphics
• Balance the audio
• Export the project
• Maybe even win yourself an award!
5
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
2.
Introduction
6
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Introduction
Professional editing is a serious business and could mean
the difference between a triumph and a flop. Successful
editing generates trust from commissioners and clients,
which can effectively keep professional video production
companies in business.
“
Some editors look at
an empty sequence
as a painter looking
at a blank canvas. It’s
more like a plumber
dealing with a leaky
tap.
- Anonymous
”
It is, therefore, incredible to think that editing was not
always part of the process. In the early days of cinema,
films were recorded in a linear fashion and cameras were
placed without thought to compositional or emotional
considerations - even lighting wasn’t seen as essential.
Of course, technology has come a long way from sticking
individual film cells together via a tape splicer.
There are three fundamental stages to modern video
editing, which are similar to the three-act structure of a
film, the process of production has a beginning, middle and
an end:
Beginning: Pre-production is the compositional stage,
where the outline of the video is created.
Middle: The production stage is where filming takes place,
recording the vision on screen.
End: Post production, perhaps one of the most important
steps, is where the recorded footage is organized, then
stitched together in an editing room and where the initial
pre-production vision will be bought to life.
7
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
3.
Pre Edit Considerations
8
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Pre Edit Considerations
Production Organization
After months of hectic location scouting, casting key characters, early
starts and late nights, the filming period will come to a close sooner than
expected.
Regardless of what genre of video you are producing, it is essential to
shoot correctly to achieve an efficient post production process. This means
providing the editor with all the shots he or she could need. Alarmingly
some projects can turn up compromized in the edit due to poor audio,
lighting and even planning. To avoid this, an in-depth pre-production stage
is encouraged so that when on location or on set an organized production
is achieved. If you maintain an organized shoot, you will maintain an
organized editing room.
Getting the Shots
It is extremely important to know where the production is going before
setting out, ensuring all the crew members and camera operators are on
the same page.
In some scripted cases such as film or drama, directors will produce
storyboards to illustrate certain key shots such as close ups, or produce a
shot list, as well as calling them on set.
In other genres such as documentary making - irrespective of how many
research conversations and briefs are conducted before a shoot - many of
the filming subjects will be unpredictable and spontaneous, meaning that
the camera operator will need to adapt to the surroundings and subject in
a more free-flowing fashion.
Having a lack of shots to choose from in the edit could seriously harm the
finished film, so it is better to overshoot a selection rather than chancing
it only to find out later that the editor has been left short changed. Some
productions have the luxury and budget to reshoot items should they need
to, but this isn’t always possible. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
The cutting room will not only desire a range of shots to choose from, but
will also need correctly labelled rushes (any recorded material) and a paper
log sheet containing detailed information on that material.
9
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Labelling &
Numbering Rushes
When labelling tapes and rushes, it is important to provide as much
information as possible using a structured system.
Some media may have been shot by multiple sources or different camera
systems and therefore be recorded on a variety of different formats ranging
from standard tape stock to SD cards. This makes the clear and logical
numbering of tapes, optical discs or memory cards crucial to the smooth
running of an organized edit.
Standard information should include the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Logging
Rushes
Tape/Roll Number (001, 002, 003, etc.)
Date
Name of production
Name of director
Name of camera operator
Name of camera model
Recording format (HDCAM, XDCAM, DVCPRO, etc.)
In films or video production, a slate or clapperboard is used to mark
particular scenes and take numbers, as well as to assist in the synchronizing
of picture and sound.
Information typically includes the date, production title, the name of the
director, the name of the director of photography (DoP), the letter of the
camera (if a multi-camera setup e.g. Camera A, B or C), and the scene
information. In the edit, the slate acts as an easily identifiable point of
reference for the editor, alongside the script of the film or episode.
Non-scripted projects are harder to predict, therefore it is beneficial to hire
an organized logger or use the production runner to take notes throughout
the production.
At the top of the logging sheet, information should include:
• the date
• production title
• name of the director
• name of the camera person
• name of the person logging
• most importantly, the number of the tape or card it is being shot
onto.
10
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
If you are filming with more than one person, some log sheets can also
include If details of which microphone pack each contributor is wearing (e.g.
Mic A or Mic B).
Details in the log sheet should include the name of the subject or character
being filmed, the location they are being filmed at, and an outline of exactly
what is being filmed or said by the contributor.
Logging will help the editor locate the tape or card with ease if they require
specific material or events.
‘That’s A Wrap!’
- for some!
After the director wraps filming, it will mark the end of the production
period for many. But for a few, the real work is only about to start.
Away from the bright lights and bustling crew members, it will be time
to move into a new workspace and settle down to work on a completely
different craft – the art of editing.
Before beginning the edit, there are a couple of factors to consider: staffing
and system preferences.
11
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
4.
Getting to the Edit
12
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Getting to the Edit
Choosing an
Editor
The way a video is edited can have a profound effect on its success.
Therefore, selecting the right editor to work with the director is vital, as the
editor is usually seen as the second most important creative person on the
production.
Both must share the same vision of the project, and also trust each other’s
judgements. He or she will need to meet the particular needs of the project,
and have the experience and patience to drive it through to the finish.
Speaking to industry professionals for recommendations is a good first port
of call. There are also editor management agencies available, but expect to
pay a premium for the service.
If there is more than one project to edit under a strict date deadline (for
example a fast turnaround television series), the project may require
multiple editors. In this case, edit producers are also hired to work alongside
the editor, freeing up the director or series producer to manage the edits
intermittently, to provide constructive feedback and ensuring the programs
all have continuity in terms of style and pace.
Choosing an
Edit System
With so many options available on the market, deciding which video editing
software to use can be a daunting prospect. However, for video editing
professionals it’s a much easier choice as the competition narrows down to
three main pieces of software:
• Final Cut Pro
• Adobe Premiere
• Avid Media Composer
Personal preferences or experience of the software may help cast the
deciding vote, but for those still unsure, here is a breakdown of the system
specs.
13
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Final Cut Pro
(FCP)
‘Final Cut Pro’ is a brand of non-linear
video editing software developed by
Apple, which allows users to edit, process
and output a range of video formats
including DV, HDV, DVCProHD, XDCAM,
2K, 4K and 5K. The latest version, ‘Final
Cut Pro X’, has received criticism for
entirely redesigning the user interface and
not supporting older project files used on
‘Final Cut Pro’ (it uses a new file extension
‘.fcpx’ which doesn’t support ‘.fcp’ file formats) so it’s worth bearing in mind
that some upgrades can be a hindrance rather than a help. Moreover, as
Apple’s operating systems continue to evolve, its future compatibility is not
guaranteed.
Pros:
• Mid range pricing, so great for businesses creating corporate videos;
• Has inbuilt DynamicRT technology which automatically adjusts
image quality and frame rate during playback to enable the viewing
of multiple video streams at the same time;
• Up to 400 hot-keys (shortcuts) to increase the speed of the edit,
which can also be customized to the users keyboard preferences;
• The high-quality rendering in Final Cut Pro makes it possible to
compute realistic effects with extraordinary precision using floatingpoint, linear-light color space calculations.
Cons:
• Only runs on Macs;
• Interface can look intimidating and - in comparison to other Apple
and Mac products;
• Final Cut Pro X may not work with all workflows in a collaborative
post-production process, ie color correction and audio sound mixing;
• The location of the project as well as the media source files, render
files and cache files is not standardized. Therefore every time a
project needs to be continued it can be time consuming locating
and linking all the offline media back together again;
• Final Cut Pro X does not support older Final Cut Pro files.
14
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Adobe
Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere has been around since
1991, with Premiere Pro released in 2003.
It comes as a part of the Adobe Creative
Suite (a suite of graphic design, video editing
and web development applications), so can
be a good bulk investment depending on
what type of project is being produced. Its
current version, Premiere Pro CC 2015,
includes multiple sequence support, highdepth rendering, multi-camera editing, time
remapping, scopes, color correction tools, special effects and an advanced
audio mixer.
Pros:
• Mac OS and Windows 7 compatibility;
• Perfect integration with Adobe’s outstanding image software such as
Photoshop and After Effects;
• Unlike other software interfaces, you can adjust the brightness of
the user interface for contrast with actual footage;
• Continued support for RED, Arri and Canon cinematography
cameras;
• Premiere Pro supports high resolution video editing at up to 10,240
× 8,192 resolution, at up to 32-bits per channel color, in both RGB
and YUV;
• The media browser offers thumbnail scrubbing and J, K, L editing for
streamlining footage before ingest;
• SpeedGrade now part of the production bundle.
Cons:
• You can no longer purchase Premiere Pro outright; you must buy a
subscription to Adobe's Creative Cloud;
• Comparatively expensive, but includes 29 other services;
• Still feels a bit clunky and buggy;
• As a 64-bit application it does not run on 32-bit operating systems;
• GPU acceleration still mostly limited to professional graphic cards.
15
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Avid Media
Composer
Frequently referred to as ‘The
Avid’, this is the Godfather of
digital editing systems. Born in
the 1980s, it introduced the
first non-linear editing system to
video professionals and over time has matured through upgrades and
system add-ons, setting the standard for other system distributors. Used
extensively in Hollywood to edit films, it’s no wonder it comes with a
steep price tag. For a full system, not only is the main cutting program
‘Avid Media Composer’ desired, but with solutions such as Unity ISIS and
Symphony, and workflows including Pro Tools – it's a perfect package for
all professional video production companies.
Pros:
• Can run on both Mac and PC;
• When working with film, it can generate a ‘negative cut list’ for
matching back to original negative material;
• Avid Media Access, enables the ability to link to and edit with P2,
XDCAM, R3D, QuickTime and AVCHD native material directly
without capture or transcoding;
• Can be installed on several computers;
• Pro Tools-like interface for audio mixing;
• When it comes to collaborative workflow, Media Composer has no
equal;
• No compliance issues when editing for major network distribution.
Cons:
• Very expensive;
• In order to run to its full potential the operating machine must have
at least 250GB spare on the HDD, which may mean spending more
money updating the computer;
• Only supports standard broadcast resolutions and frame rates;
• It is known to be the least intuitive of the major editing programs, so
beginners may find it hardest to learn.
16
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Online Video
Editors
While the desktop video editing market has consolidated into the big three
(Adobe, Apple, and Avid), it’s still in its infancy for online video editors. The
idea of moving video editing online isn't a new one. However, until recently,
most of the activity was geared at the consumer market.
You can edit your videos to your heart's content without downloading
and installing any software - all you require is a decent connection to the
Internet. There are several websites that allow you to upload images, raw
video footage, and sound, before tweaking it to your individual preferences.
While some online video editing software has features like animations,
filters, video stabilization, transition effects, and color correction, most
lack the advanced features available on their desktop counterparts. While
consumers are willing to trade off features for ease of use, professionals, in
most cases, can’t make the same trade off.
Pros:
• Universal access, with the ability to collaborate in real time;
• Largely free for consumer use;
• Not fixed to a physical location;
• The user interface is largely intuitive and simple for beginners to get up
and running;
• Easily integrate with social media;
• No need for dedicated, proprietary purchases.
Cons:
• Geared for the consumer market - lack of high-level professional features;
• Consumer-grade tools often lack the security that enterprises require;
• The upload bottleneck;
• Online delivery mechanisms, such as YouTube, accept a wide variety of
file formats, which are then compressed and transcoded to a native format,
but they place a limit on the size of the original file;
• Encoding and storage costs highlights the fact that online video software
needs a different pricing model than traditional one-time licensing;
• Degraded quality of proxy files.
To future proof web-based editing software for professional editors, it has
to offer all the power and flexibility of the best of breed desktop software,
all the while upping the ante with the perceived benefits of online storage,
centralized asset management and collaboration features. Adobe Anywhere
resolves many of these issues.
17
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Adobe Anywhere
Adobe Anywhere for video is a collaborative
workflow platform that empowers users of
Adobe professional video solutions (Premiere
Pro CC and Prelude CC) to work together,
using centralized media and assets, across
standard networks. Adobe Anywhere brings
virtual teams of talent together so they can
efficiently shoot, log, edit, and share video
productions using standard open systems,
networks, and processes. Heavy file transfers, duplicate media, and proxy
files are not required. Adobe Anywhere is hosted on-premises for complete
control and security.
Pros:
• Streamline workflows — Avoid spending time searching for files, projects,
or media. Quickly create a news story, commercial, or promo and distribute
it to global teams faster than current production workflows;
• Format handling — Adobe Anywhere supports any format that is
supported by Adobe Premiere Pro CC, including HD, SD, DV, and more;
• Virtual talent — Work with a dispersed team of editors, motion graphics
artists, and producers. Build the right teams for projects based on skill set,
not location;
• Creative freedom — Allow workflows in which users have the time and
ability to create multiple versions of a project, as well as collaborate with
one another on shared work in progress;
• Cost savings — Save on IT and resource costs with the elimination of file
duplication, proxy use, and network transfers. Adobe Anywhere is designed
to augment existing infrastructure — no need for dedicated, proprietary
purchases.
Cons:
• Only works with Adobe Creative Cloud Tools;
• The suggested pipe for seamless experience seems to be 25-40 Mbps;
• Aimed at the enterprise players like CNN and large post houses;
• Subscription-pricing-only.
18
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Minimum System
Requirements
Good editing software is not only expensive but it also relies on a highpriced computer to run to its full potential. It is, therefore, worth updating
the computer unit the software will run off should it not be up to the
job. Once a program has been chosen, learn as much as possible such as
shortcuts, effects and coloring tools. This information will prove extremely
useful when the edit begins.
SOFTWARE
PLATFORM
PROCESSOR
RAM
HDD
PRICE
Final Cut Pro
Mac
OS X v10.10.2 or
later
4GB (8GB for
4K)
4.15GB £299 / $360
Adobe Premiere
Pro (2015)
Windows / Mac
Multicore Intel
processor with 64bit support
4GB (but 8GB
recommended)
4GB
£548 / $855
Avid Media
Composer 6.5
Windows / Mac
Intel Core 2 Duo,
2.33 GHz processor
or faster
4GB
250GB
£832 / $1,299
19
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
5.
Stepping into the
Cutting Room
20
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Stepping into the Cutting Room
Digitizing
Rushes
Before any actual editing can begin, the process of digitizing the rushes
(recorded footage) into an edit suite must be achieved. Digitization refers to
the conversion of non-digital material (i.e. a DV tape) into digital form. This
means the editor can work off the duplicated digital version of the master
material when it comes to editing on a computer, which also protects the
master source from any edit mishaps.
Digitization can be achieved at high-res or low-res. High-res digitization
will mean the final digital file will be larger in size than a low-res file, and
therefore take up more space on the hard drive, but will be of the best
quality – much how you would expect to see it if you watched the master
tape back. High-res digitizing may be useful for productions with only a few
rushes (for example, a TV commercial) so that if the client comes in to view
a cut, it will be of the best quality.
Digitizing can be a time consuming task as the ingesting is done in real
time. If there are lots of rushes that require a lot of storage space, it may be
worth digitizing at a low-res to save on drive space and time, but this will
mean having to ‘conform’ before the later stages of post-production, such
as the grade and online. Conforming is the process of replacing ‘offline’
materials with ‘online’ materials, or rather replacing low-res footage with
high-res footage before the final mastering of the video.
‘Offline’ material refers to any material cut during the initial edit. The offline
edit will create an Edit Decision List (EDL), basically a list of which shots go
where. Once the offline edit has been signed off, that’s when the ‘online’
edit will begin, which consists of ingesting the high-res footage as per the
EDL.
If the rushes were shot on digital format, such as discs, SxS or SD cards, the
process of ingesting is known as ‘transcoding’. This shifts the material from
one digital format to another.
Before viewing the rushes, exercise caution and make sure all the material
is backed up at least twice and stored in different places. The cost is a small
price to pay compared to the total cost of reproducing lost footage from
scratch.
21
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Organizing & Viewing
the Rushes
Viewing the rushes and organizing them into folders will help when it
comes to locating and sourcing certain clips. This should be done before
any cutting of footage is attempted and is normally done by the director,
but possibly by the editor or edit assistant – as long as he or she has been
fully briefed by the director beforehand on what they would like. Some
directors have time to view all the rushes before an edit, but this is not
always possible.
If a paper log has been produced during production, this can help speed
up the process as it will include an outline of what has been shot on each
tape source. If not, it is worth viewing the rushes and logging any significant
timecodes. This will prove useful when devising the finished project.
The rushes should be organized as best as possible because a significant
amount of time during the edit will consist of finding particular shots for a
particular purpose, so make sure the system files are labelled in a way that
both the director and editor can understand and can work with.
Labelling bins (folders) and clips into an order that seems logical is the
first and best place to start. For each filmed sequence, set up a bin and
label each clip with a brief description. For example, if you were producing
an advert about cats, the main bin could be labelled ‘Cats’ with each clip
labelled as the different type of cat being filmed and what it is doing, e.g.
‘Black kitten playing with ball’, ‘Ginger cat eating food’.
22
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Devise a
Structure
Devising a paper edit will help when it comes to organizing the structure of
the project on the edit timeline. A paper edit, much like a storyboard, will
outline the ‘story order’ and may include certain points detailing specific
time codes from rushes of shots or scenes keen for inclusion.
A typical paper edit might look like this:
ZOO TIME
RX1-Meet the animals
1-Titles
2-Meet Zookeeper Gary
00.30
I/V with Gary
01.00
POV Zoo
01.04
Gary cleaning out Elephants
01.10-01.50
Different shots of animals watching (CU
giraffe, shot of laughing hyena)
01.50-02.10
I/V with Gary talking about cleaning out
animals on daily basis
The editor can work with these pointers as he or she begins to organize the
import and adding specific clips and shots onto the edit timeline.
Make a
Rough Cut
Once all the clips have been brought together for the edit timeline, it’s then
time to devise a rough cut. The sound and vision of the cuts should be
parallel, and it will typically be significantly over length compared with the
desired running time. This is normal, as the main job of the rough cut is to
give the project some shape.
The process from here on is the sifting down, tidying up, reorganizing and
tightening-up of the project. Make sure to check at regular intervals that
the flow of the edit is making sense and fits together as initially intended.
It is best to have the skeletal structure of the rough cut viewed by an
outsider once it has been devised. This will shed new light on fresh ideas or
suggestions where it may lose pace or become boring, which at this stage
can easily be changed and re-edited if it will benefit the final video.
23
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Choosing
Music
Choosing the soundtrack for a video can bring a project to life, giving it a
mood and atmosphere. Whether it is heavy metal over a gaming advert, or
a ballad over a sensitive documentary, designing the “tracklay” can create a
significant impact and must not be underestimated.
There are three different types of music:
• Commercial
• Library
• Specially commissioned
Commercial music refers to any music track that is being marketed directly
to the general public, by any medium. This means musical artists past and
present, from classical musicians to contemporary artists. If the director or
client has specific commercial tracks in mind, it is definitely worth exploring
whether these can be cleared before editing around the beats of the music
as it will save time in the long run. Obtaining copyright clearance can be
a long-winded process as it means having to contact the record label or
publisher direct. It can also be a very expensive choice. The Performing
Rights Society (PRS) can quickly help discover if an artist or track can be
cleared so it’s worth contacting them first.
Library music is created and distributed by companies with the video
production company sector in mind. By commissioning composers and
artists under a ‘buy out’, library music companies retain all the copyright to
their artists and tracks, and can sell these at a substantially lower price than
that of the commercial music sector. Library music albums are designed
with a certain ‘feel’ about them. For example one might be called ‘Music
from Space’ which would include different emotional tracks with a certain
science fiction vibe, or ‘Music from the Movies’ which would include covers
of popular classical music tracks from the film industry.
Specially commissioned music is exactly that. The company will commission
a composer to write and produce music of a certain feel. A great composer
can be given a final cut of the project and create music to fit exactly to each
part. It is not as expensive as it sounds, and can help to make a project feel
original, so it is worth considering.
24
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Adding
Transitions
A transition is an effect used to change from one clip in the edited
sequence to the next, and is achieved by mixing two video signals together.
Depending on which editing software the project is running off will depend
on what different transitions can be achieved, but there tends to be little
difference between some of the more professional units.
Below is a list of the most common types of transitions:
•
•
•
•
The Cut
Fade-Out
Cross Dissolve
Wipe
The cut is the most basic type of transition as it has no duration and no
overlap. When a shot ends, another begins straight away. In comparison,
the other transitions gradually replace one shot with another.
The fade-out begins with a shot at full intensity and reduces until it
disappears. There is also the fade-in – a shot beginning at no intensity that
increases until it is at full resolution. These are commonly used for ‘fade to
black’ or ‘fade up’ from black, which usually portrays the end of a sequence
or the beginning of a new sequence or time frame.
The cross dissolve involves two shots. The first shot fades out while the
second shot simultaneously fades in. During the cross dissolve, the two
shots are superimposed as they fade.
A wipe is where the screen physically splits, moving from one side of an
image to the gradual reveal of the next shot. It is typically used to portray
a quick change of pace.
Transitions are usually used to:
• Convey the passing of time between scenes;
• Fade-up at the beginning of a scene or fade-out at the end of a
scene;
• Create a montage of images;
• Create motion graphic effects;
• Soften jump cuts (cuts between two different parts of the same
footage).
25
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
The Fine
Cut
The stage when a rough cut becomes a fine cut is not exact, but is often
when the editor feels each idea has been fully explored. Fine cutting itself is
the process of getting down to perfect frame accuracy for every single edit
in the film; of making sure each moment flows as best it can; and making
sure the video fits the proposed time required by the client or director. If
editing a music video, this will mean making sure the sequences are cut to
the beat of the track in a way that it naturally flows.
Key sound effects, music and transitions should already be introduced at
this stage, and the complexity of the final timeline will grow, so the trick is
not to feel too intimidated as the fine cutting of each segment is tightened
up. No further changes will be made once the fine cut is approved so make
sure the project is definitely finished before it moves into the final stages
of post-production.
26
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
6.
Final Processes
27
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Final Processes
The
Tracklay
In essence, track laying is a type of sound editing. The process involves
finalizing all music, sound and audio in the project and making sure it runs
smoothly from a quality source. It can involve cleaning up original sync
and also laying ambience over individual scenes in order to enhance the
soundtrack of the final video. This can be performed by a dubbing editor
opposed to the actual editor, but it can sometimes be a luxury to which
production budgets cannot stretch. For a 30 minute video, it can take up
to half or even a full day, so it is worth bearing in mind.
The
Online
Now that the offline editing has been signed off (the initial edit), the online
edit can begin. Online editing focuses on image quality, color correction,
maintaining video specifications, and adding titles and graphics if need be.
The offline edit would have produced an edit decision list, also known as
an EDL, which is a list of all the shots in the signed off version and details
of where they came from – aka the source of the files. If at the start of the
project rushes were digitized in low-res, this EDL will assist the editor to
reingest them to be high-res clips. Checking that the image quality is the
best it can be is known as the conform.
The editor will also go through each shot and check the color levels. This
may require a color ‘grade’ which corrects any discrepancies in color and
luminance which may have resulted from varying light levels or poor color
balancing. The editor will alter and enhance the color by using a variety of
different filters, essentially creating an ‘artful look’ to the final video.
Captions may also be layered over the video to provide captioning of
particular characters or products, as well as graphics such as an opening
or closing sequence, or graphics taken from another tape source that will
be ingested.
Lastly, the final mix will need to be performed. This is the process of mixing
down the sound to one neat stereo track and will complete the online
process.
28
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Export and
Delivery
Now the video production is complete, it’s time to export the video and
deliver it to wherever it’s due to be viewed. If delivering digitally, the
file will be exported into the desired file type as per the client’s delivery
specifications and requirements.
Delivery format of the finished content will of course depend on where the
footage is being shown.
• TV networks will ask for a variety of differing file standards, depending
on the program and the channel it is being aired on, but most do not
yet accept digital file deliveries. TV channels will also require delivery
of paperwork associated with the program.
• Online delivery mechanisms, such as YouTube and Vimeo, accept
a wide variety of file formats, which are then compressed and
transcoded to a native format, but they might place a limit on the size
of the original file. Also watch out that the quality of your production
doesn’t alter during the compression process.
• Embedding video into a website will largely depend on having an
application to host the video, then taking a code and adding it to
your website’s source code.
Reversioning
When a completed production has been used in one delivery format,
sometimes it is required to be edited for alternative broadcasting formats.
For a feature film, this reversioning might transition the production from
cinema to DVD to TV, for instance. Or if a TV series is sold to overseas
markets, the production will need to be altered for different languages and
in some cases, different cultural sensitivities. In other cases, the original
production might be re-edited with a new title, graphics, voiceovers and
music to produce a show for a completely new audience.
In these examples, a Reversioning Editor, usually within a post production
facility, will oversee the process to transform the original content into the
new delivery format. In some cases this might simply be a case of altering
the technical specifications of the original file format to meet the needs of
the new broadcaster, such as altering the screen aspect ratio.
29
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
7.
Conclusion
30
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Conclusion
“
Proper planning and
preparation prevents
piss poor performance!
- British Army adage
”
In this eBook, we walked you through the process of
planning for the edit during pre-production, choosing the
right editor and software for the edit, how to successfully
execute the edit and what’s required for the final delivery.
We placed the most emphasis on the importance of
planning for the edit because great editing is as much
about being prepared to edit as the act of editing itself,
sometimes more. If a production is well organized, following
clearly thought out plans, then it naturally follows that the
creative art of editing is less likely to be bogged down by
technical glitches or worse, needing to reshoot a scene.
Throughout the editing process, the planning, production
and editing has all been leading to this final stage; a
completed video that clients and individuals will be proud
of. Sitting back and watching the video come to life within
its creative medium will be a rewarding experience with a
real sense of achievement. It will also provide the creator
with a certain objective evaluation of their work that will
help them grow when it comes to producing future videos.
The more videos produced, the easier it will be to learn
particular techniques, discover new effects, shortcuts
and essentially create a piece of work which will be cut
above the rest, and bring in those video industry award
nominations!
31
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
8.
About this eBook
32
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
About the Author
Lucie Richards is a resourceful, ideas-driven freelance Assistant Producer
based in London. Specializing in factual and factual entertainment
documentaries, she has more than four years experience in casting
compelling contributors, and filming on location.
Starting her career at RDF Television in 2009, Lucie has since gained
experience working for a variety of major UK and US broadcasters
including BBC, ITV, Channel 4, BSkyB and NBC. Broadcast credits
include ‘Terry Wogan’s Ireland’ (BBC1), ‘Seven Days’ (C4), ‘The Alan
Titchmarsh Show’ (ITV1), ‘Claire Richards: Slave to Food’ (Sky Living)
and ‘A Royal Restoration’ with HRH The Prince of Wales (ITV1) amongst
others.
In 2012, Lucie was named one of the Edinburgh International Television
Festival’s ‘Ones to Watch’ where she was invited to the annual festival
and took masterclasses with some of the UK’s top television executives.
Follow Lucie on Twitter @Loubut
33
Everything You Need to Know About
Professional Video Editing
A Back to Basics Guide
Why Aframe?
Aframe is a cloud platform that gives you one central location for organizing and managing large volumes of
multi-format video. By reducing complexity and making it easy for colleagues, clients and partners to find, access
and collaborate on video assets, Aframe saves cost, increases usage of assets and helps organizations achieve a
higher return on their content investment. Aframe meets the most demanding standards and is trusted by the
world’s leading broadcast, enterprise and new media organizations.
Central Video Platform
Asset Monetization
Aframe is a cloud collaboration platform that
provides one central location for global teams and
international partners to access and manage high
resolution video. Trusted by the world’s largest
organizations, Aframe is the only solution to
combine fast UDP upload, transcoding, metadata
support, video player, dynamic search, online
review and approval, and analytics.
Commercial teams can create online catalogues,
sales kits and screeners to improve professionalism
and customer service. The central cloud platform
overcomes the commercial and technical
challenges of securely managing and distributing
assets to improve partner communications,
streamline the sales process, broaden sales reach
and ultimately increase revenue.
Media Management & Collaboration
Production
Aframe’s central platform helps marketing, promos
and reversioning groups take control of their
assets and manage them more effectively. With
less time spent wrestling with technical issues,
teams can be more productive and make more
use of assets.
Aframe reduces the complexity of managing
media across all types of production. Cloudpowered workflows means everyone, wherever
they are based, has instant access to the content
they need from one central place. By reducing
the barriers of production, teams can focus on
creating the highest quality content and complete
productions in record time.
Request a personal demo at aframe.com/demo >>
34