Editing Tips

By: Mike Paladino - Revised: 2006-06-28 devin

Introduction

Contains a suggested editing process and various tips related to editing.


Recommended editing process

Working in this order can greatly reduce the amount of time to produce your movies.

Import
Dump entire DV tape to computer

Trim clips
Edit each clip to remove unwanted video

Dump back to tape
Save all of the good video, not just the video used in this movie. This provides you with an archive of good video for future use.

Arrange clips
  • Don't place clips from similar angles and subjects next to each other
  • If you must do this, like in an interview, insert a shot of the anything else and make the cut, or you can use a really quick crossfade
Add transitions
  • Always fade in at the beginning
  • Always fade out at the ending
  • No transition is the most common cut
  • Crossfade is the second most common cut
  • Pay attention to TV/Movies to get ideas how to do this well
Clip Flow
  • Try to get them to "flow" by having them maintain idea continuity (just like what they say in writing class)
  • Keep clips a similar length
Add titles
  • Don't put titles over fast moving or distracting video
  • Use the same font and size throughout a project
  • QuickTime exports need big and bold fonts to compensate for the shrinkage
  • QT margins use the full movie width
  • TV-safe margins keep a border where no text will tread
  • Use still images for special titles
Importing graphics
  • Use as title pages to get fonts/graphics that iMovie normally can't do
  • Use with crossfades or other transitions to get limitless possibilities
Add effects
Don't use unless they make sense, such as a memory or dream might be "Sepia" or "Soft Focus"

Add audio
  • Built in editing/duping audio
  • Add an echo
  • Create reverb
  • Reuse audio
  • Get rid of unwanted sounds
  • Voice over
  • Add exaggerated sounds (footsteps, fist fight)
  • Crunching onion skins is a fire
  • Break celery to get crunching bones
  • Always try to save this for last. If you make any edits that change the movie length, then you will need to adjust the audio again.

DV time to file size

Clip Length (Time) File Size
1 frame 120K
1 min 228MB
15 min 3.5GB
30 min 7GB
1 hr 13GB
2 hrs 28GB
4 hrs 53GB

Other info

Maximum video clip time: 9:28:17, or 2 gig

Monitor resolution MUST be at least 800 x 600

You can use an external firewire drive if the drive and the Mac are fast enough.