Film editing is now something almost everyone can do at a simple level and enjoy it, but to take it to a higher level requires the same dedication and persistence that any art form does - Walter Murch
Similar to any piece of writing, video needs to go through a stringent and thorough process of editing if it is to yield successful results. Many people underestimate the importance of this process (and the time it needs to take) in many video or film productions. It's like a puzzle, everything is put together to form a whole.
When you think about the three crucial stages of video production, namely:
· Pre-production
· Production
· Post-production
It's easy to understand where editing fits in and how much of an impact it can make to the final outcome. If, however, you're not sure on where it fits, our post on exactly this: The Production Process - Blending Creative, Business and Organisational Needs highlights these stages for you.
When done right, proper editing processes and techniques can radically change the look and feel of a video and its overall quality. Your film can be perfectly fine with virtually no need for any improvements, until it comes to the post-production process.
Lots of unexpected things can happen while shooting a video, and when the editor receives the finished piece, their task is to make it as seamless as possible and to realise a narrative that works from beginning to end. The culmination of the cuts, sound, pace and more, makes for a striking film worth watching.
The hard work that goes into it, isn’t always apparent because the majority of it happens behind the scenes. But you can turn a simple piece into an attractive marketing tool, just by using a few, smart tactics. The overall message in the end-piece can easily be lost if this is not done well.
To receive footage that has been shot with editing in mind, it is a blessing – Thelma Schoonmaker
While working on video production projects for years, the editing process has become second nature to us. In many instances we have found a few basic, yet crucial things that can make a world of difference to any film. We share the three things we have found to work below:
When you want a smooth flow of work, the cuts are one of the main things that can help you do that. The importance of the trimming process of choosing the starting and the end of a scene cannot be stressed enough.
It's about perfect timing, if you cut the scene too soon it creates a sudden change that can be confusing to the viewer; if you cut too late, it may bore your audience with unnecessary footage. This also helps to pace the video.
No matter what the length of a video, the main idea for shooting a video is to capture the viewers’ attention and to make it easy for them to watch the film. To get the best shots, every director knows to shoot various options and once captured, putting things together in an organised and smooth sequence is key to keeping your viewers engaged.
Editing is not merely a method of the junction of separate scenes or pieces, but is a method that controls the 'psychological guidance' of the spectator - Vsevolod Pudovkin
Think about a time when you watched a video or a piece of footage and it did not have any sound in the background. Did it seem like something was missing? In the process of editing, not only do the visuals and the scenes make the story but the soundscape adds a crucial dimension that enhances impact, meaning and understanding. As mentioned in this article, everything from human voices, to music and sound effects, add a necessary dimension to the film.
Music helps to bring things to life. A successful audio design requires meticulous sound editing. It takes a combination of a few things to enhance the mood and that fits within the bigger picture – choosing the right sound effects and music, adjusting the volume levels, and then mixing everything together.
Editing is a fascinating and challenging part of the video production process. An experienced editor is critical to the success of any film/video. He/she needs to have advanced technical skills, an innate sense of story and timing as well as an ability to look objectively at the film and sense if it is delivering key messages in the right way.
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See how we do it: send us an email to hello@shortstories.media if you would like to discuss your next film project.
