Editing and Post Production

Basic Editing Concepts

- In simple meaning, editing means selecting certain portions of an event or events and putting them into a meaningful sequences.
- We edit to tell a story with clarity and impact.

Functions

1. Combine:
- Selecting significant event details and put them into a specific sequence to tell a story or a situation with clarity and impact.
- Carefully kept field logs will help so much.

Functions Cont.

2. Condense:
- The condensing function of editing requires a recognition of the essence of an event or events, and the selection of shots that best express that essence.
- Don’t use three shots if you can communicate the idea with one shot.

3. Correct:
- Mistakes made while filming/videotaping
- Careful attention to pre-production and production details can eliminate most correcting problems.

Mental Map

- We construct a “mental map” of what is located on and off screen.
- Ex: two people talking and one of them is off screen.

Vectors

- Directional forces that lead our eyes from one point to another on the screen.
- Can also be known as “the Axis of Action” or “The imaginary Line” in some cases.

Basic Edit Terms
- ASSEMBLE EDIT
#To completely replace together a long scene; all video, audio, and control track signals, and record it onto a master tape.
- INSERT EDIT
#To edit/ to insert a new material into previously recorded material without having videos break-up at th edit point
- A/B ROLL
#A video edit set-up which has two sources (VTR players) feeding into the control system. So visual transition can be done with accuracy.

Post-production Editing

1. Linear editing

- The basic principal of linear editing is copying sections of the source tapes to the edit master tape in the desired sequences.
- Ex. If you want shot 14 to be shot 3, you will have to fast-forward through all eleven to get to it – like a VHS or Audio Tape.

2. The operational principle of Linear Editing (LE) is copying

VTRs

1. Single sources
- Source VTR: Displays video to be edited
- Record VTR: Displays edited video portion of the “edit master tape”

2. Multiple source linear system
- Source VTRs are usually lettered or numbered
- Only one Record VTR
- Allows transitions and special FX, whereas single source VTRs only allow for “cuts only”