Video Maker - USA (2019-06)

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EDITING

60 VIDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2019

Starting the editing process can

be intimidating. However, when

post-production is broken down

into smaller steps, it becomes

much easier to follow. This also

helps you stay on track. That’s

what building a solid video edit-

ing workflow is all about.

an exercise in controlled chaos for an

editor who faces down a mountain of

footage with only a script and list of

production notes in hand.

As unforgiving as the task ahead

might seem, following a simple plan

of attack can make quick work of the

edit that lies ahead. All that it takes is

a simple step-by-step plan that breaks

the editing process into a sequence of

more manageable tasks.

Before diving into the timeline,

arranging clips around and dropping

cuts, make sure you are prepared by

Video editing is an incremental pro-

cess that alternates between construc-

tion and deconstruction. As the editor

repeatedly cycles through acts of addi-

tion and reduction, they build towards

the fi nal product.

The goal is a video that connects

with its audience and carries with

it an emotional pull brought out by

the editor’s hand. The easiest way to

facilitate a good edit is to utilize a tried

and true process that starts with raw

footage and results in a work of art.

First thing’s fi rst

The beginning of an edit can take on

the appearance of a daunting task. It’s

Video editing workflow

by Chris Ace Gates

organizing the project. It’s best to

label and sort clips into bins or fold-

ers. This will make it easy to quickly

identify and locate each piece of foot-

age as needed. Proper organization is

key to a smooth editing process.

The rough cut

The rough cut is the foundational

step to assembling a scene. This is

where you develop and lay out the

basic structure and sequence of

the edit in the timeline. It’s a lot of

tedious work, but it’s also where the

story takes shape.

The rough cut begins with the

script. In the case of a documentary

or an interview, you should utilize

the production notes and the paper

transcript of the footage. The script

was written as a guide to establish the

story that will be presented through

the video. From the script and pro-

duction notes, you can start to select

corresponding clips, placing them in

order on the timeline.

The rough cut begins as an additive

process. If you’re having a diffi cult

time choosing between two takes of

the same shot, it’s okay to place them

next to each other in the timeline. The

selection might become easier by see-

ing the clips in the context of the edit.

Then, you can remove the redundant

Organizing your footage into bins with proper lables will help you work faster. You can get

through the editing process more efficiently when all your assets are easy to access.

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EDITING

EDITING JUNE 2019

VIDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2019 61

Video editing workflow

by Chris Ace Gates

timing, but the sequence of shots

should be set and ready to review with

the client.

Picture lock

When the fi ne cut is approved, the edit

is at picture lock. Picture lock means

the timing of the clips and edits within

the sequence will not change, nor will

any footage be added or subtracted

from the edit. What happens during

picture lock is the preparation for

fi nishing. This is when you clean up

your timeline. Make sure there are no

stray clips hidden in any of the tracks.

It’s also an opportune time to move

clips into dedicated tracks for various

fi nishing processes, if this is part of

your workfl ow.

Organizing audio tracks during

picture lock is an effi cient way to pre-

pare for successful audio post-pro-

duction. Make sure there are proper

audio handles on each clip. Group

clips with similar audio — such as

dialog from a particular character —

into the same tracks. Now is also the

time to spot sound effects with as

much accuracy as possible.

Finishing

In fi nishing, we transform the picture-

locked edit into the video that the

audience will see. There are several

shots that are the lesser fi t for the

overall edit.

Once this fi rst pass of assembling

the clips into the sequence is com-

plete, watch it several times through.

First, make sure that it makes sense

and that there are no glaring holes

in the narrative. Second, look for any

continuity errors and see if any shots

are out of place.

At this point in the rough edit, you

should know what holes you need to

fi ll and what moments need support

from illustrative visuals, such as a

cutaway or reaction shot. The rough

edit is a great place to bring these ele-

ments into the timeline.

Once you’ve assembled the rough

cut, you should be able to watch the

edit with your client and understand

the fl ow and structure of the story. By

no means however, does the rough cut

look or feel like the fi nal video. Yet, it

should be able to clearly communi-

cate the key message of the content.

The key to remember with the rough

cut is that it should be an ordered

assemblage of the shots that will be

used in the fi nal video.

The fi ne cut

The fi ne cut begins after the rough

edit is complete and approved. The

goal in the fi ne cut is to precisely

place and time out each shot and each

cut within the edit. The pace of the

edit should deliver the appropriate

emotional impact of the scene.

This is where fi nesse comes into the

process and you make decisions at the

frame level. During the fi ne cut, time

the sequence so the dialog feels natural

and the conversation fl ows across

the shots. Likewise, action and visual

movements within the clips should be

timed out to feel as if they are working

together in a coherent story.

The result of the fi ne cut should

be a timeline with every shot in its

proper place. The fl ow and timing of

the sequence should match what the

audience will see the fi nal project.

Certain visual effects such as time

remapping will change the overall

The story is built in the rough and fine cuts, but once your video is at picture lock, it’s

time to start fine tuning.

different ways approach fi nishing,

and they’re often contingent on your

post-production workfl ow. In some

situations, the fi nishing process is

linear, in which you perform the

various tasks in a specifi c order. At

other times, multiple specialists will

handle the fi nishing process, working

simultaneously on their own specifi c

responsibility in the edit.

Audio post

Audio post-production is a critical step

in fi nishing. The audio tracks from

the video are cleaned up and mixed

down, along with sound effects and

music beds. A skilled audio engi-

neer can infl uence an overall video

by crafting the sound to carry the

same — or even greater — emotional

impact as the visuals.

Visual eff ects

Next, we can add visual effects to

the video. This can be something as

simple as pulling a chroma key from

green screen footage to something

as complex as tracking a shot and

compositing in effects elements such

as 3D rendered CGI objects.

Color

Color correction and color grading

take place during fi nishing. While

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