General Question.

Um, so how do you go about making one hour of *really bad* boring footage into one minute of something that people might enjoy? Should I just cram it with effects?

Regards,

Ron

Story! Trust yourself and tell a good one minute story. Effects often get in the way unless you need the effect to tell your story.



Michael Horton
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Music, cuts and effects.

Part of a good editor's job isn't just to cut out the bad parts, but s/he has a responsibility for seeing what's potentially good about it as well. Can't throw the baby out with the soiled diapers. Make sure you're not letting bad camera work, focus issues, shaky moves etc. get in the way of your content. If the content is worthy, figure out a way to showcase it.

Effects do help, but remember to create motifs, not to use every effect in the book (mark of an amateur: Going down the transitions list alphabetically with no motivation). If you have lighting problems, for example, try to find one filter setting which can either help boost the look, or grain it up so that it looks intentionally grungy (though remember not to obscure the content of the shot).

This is basically what I had to do when I cut three music videos from a 12-song concert where one camera was stuck on a super-wide (!) and the roaming camera was far too content to shoot through mike stands and the heaving bosom of the backup singer. I stole footage from every single song, came up with three different effect motifs (multi-image using the Mirror filter, dramatic desaturation, black-and-white nostalgia with slow-motion) for the three songs, and used one close-up of the lead guitarist's playing so many times (with speed changes) that I was able to use that shot for riffs, solos, and just filler licks. Struggle? Yeah. Happy client? Definitely.

<<<Story! Trust yourself and tell a good one minute story. Effects often get in the way unless you need the effect to tell your story.>>>

That, then sound/sound effects, then everything else.

Very few people can get a presentation over without effective sound. Even slide shows only work well with a good track or narration.

"Here's the one where the wave knocked me over and pulled my trunks off."

See? You don't even need the pictures.

Koz

You guys rock.

Yeah... story is #1.

BUT... if like you say you have "one hour of *really bad* boring footage", a nice (tasteful) FX treatment and sound FX will absolutely save the day.

- Joey



When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.